The Great Qin Dynasty: The egg of the Black Bird was revered as a national guardian beast.

Just as Han Xin was leading his troops north...

At the same time, Xiang Liang also led his army across the Yangtze River and into the west.

Along the way, they incorporated the rebel armies of Guangling and Dongyang, and finally crossed the Huai River and stationed themselves in Xiapi.

At this time, his army numbered in the hundreds of thousands.

Now, blocking their march are Qin Jia, who is holding Pengcheng, and King Jingju of Chu.

That night, at the Xiapi stronghold.

Inside the main tent, Xiang Liang summoned his troops to discuss how to attack Pengcheng and unify the Chu Kingdom.

"Once the Great Chu is established, we must first take Pengcheng and defeat Jing Ju, who has usurped the throne, in order to recover the entire territory of Chu."

"Only in this way can we rally the world to overthrow the tyrannical Qin dynasty in the west!"

The speaker was Chen Ying, who led 20,000 righteous troops to join Xiang Liang when Xiang Liang crossed the Yangtze River and advanced to Dongyang.

Nodding, Xiang Liang sat at the head of the table.

"What Ying said is true. Jing Ju has usurped the title of king and has not even led an army to resist the tyrannical Qin. Such inaction deserves to be punished!"

Once the conversation started, everyone chimed in with their own opinions.

When it was Zhang Liang's turn, he paused for a moment.

He squinted and said, "To revive extinct states, continue broken lineages, and promote reclusive people, the people of the world will submit to your will."

"In the past, Duke Heng of Qi rallied the feudal lords, revitalized the fallen, restored the extinct ancestral rites, and with great righteousness, he became the hegemon of the world."

As he spoke, he glanced at Xiang Liang at the head of the table and saw that he was not interested in the old stories of Qi Heng and was somewhat dismissive.

Thus, another matter related to the State of Chu was added.

"During the reign of King Zhuang of Chu, there was a civil war in Chen. King Zhuang defeated Chen, executed Xia Zhengshu, and dismissed the garrison in Chen. He then established the successor of Chen. When the other feudal lords heard of this, they all paid homage to Chu."

"Now Qin, a land of barbarians, has ravaged the states of the six kingdoms."

"King An of Han, King Fuchu of Chu, King Jia of Wei, King Qian of Zhao, King Jian of Qi, and King Xi of Yan."

"They were either brutally murdered by Qin officials or exiled to desolate places, where they died in despair, causing indignation among the people of the six states."

"Now that you, General, have raised an army of righteous men to revive the Great Chu, you should execute the false king Jingju, shake the world with your might, and appease the feudal lords!"

"If we can restore the six states together, then the feudal lords will surely be grateful and support you as their leader."

"Then we can lead our troops westward and destroy the tyrannical Qin!"

Regardless of Zhang Liang's personal motives, restoring the order of the former six kingdoms was a good strategy for the time being.

Thus, although Jingju was identified by Xiang Liang as a false king.

However, it is a consensus that the land of Chu cannot be without a ruler. After the army is mobilized to eliminate Jing Ju and Qin Jia, a new king of Chu must be established.

But as soon as Zhang Liang finished speaking, someone in the hall shouted loudly.

"Nowadays, the world is in a state of chaos, with hundreds or thousands of people gathered together, and they are countless, each with their own banner."

"They did not obey each other, and even fought each other, unable to concentrate on resisting the tyrannical Qin, and were not subordinate to each other."

Not to mention other places, even in the Chu region, a farce of two Chu states standing side by side occurred, all of which are lessons learned in blood.

Then the man said.

"Instead of letting a hundred men fight among themselves, it would be better to let General Xiang step forward and select a leader for each region."

"But right now, there are people in Yan and Zhao who have usurped the title of king and have a large number of mercenaries. If the original six kings are reinstated, it may cause conflict with them."

"If the tyrannical Qin dynasty is not overthrown, and conflicts arise, it will only allow the Qin dynasty to reap the benefits, which will be detrimental to us."

"Therefore, it is not necessary to re-establish the six kingdoms; perhaps we can recognize their royal titles and unite them together."

"In this way, by uniting the world under one banner, we can not only resist the tyrannical Qin, but also share the pressure on the Chu state."

This statement, while similar to Zhang Liang's, no longer focuses on the establishment of the six states, but rather on selecting capable individuals.

Zhang Liang squinted at the man.

This man had gray hair, but his demeanor was measured and proper. He was Fan Zeng, a strategist under Xiang Liang.

However, Fan Zeng then said, "Therefore, I believe we should not blindly restore the descendants of the six states. Instead, we should try to win over those powerful and influential figures."

Xiang Liang continued drinking and remained silent.

Although Zhang Liang and Fan Zeng explained things very clearly, Xiang Liang simply put down his wine cup and said calmly.

"In that case, let's wait until we've defeated Jingju before discussing this further."

But after saying that, he looked at Zhang Liang and said, "I know that Zifang is eager to restore Han, but now, there is no need to rush."

"Once Jingju is defeated, I will definitely send troops to help you restore Han."

Zhang Liang immediately stood up and replied, "Yes."

With that, Xiang Liang smiled and nodded, saying, "Then let's discuss together how to defeat Jingju!"

But at that moment, a voice rang out from below the hall.

"General Xiang, I know where Jingju has stationed his troops and where his supplies are located."

"I am willing to infiltrate Pengcheng for the general, burn its provisions, and wait for Jingju to surrender the city without losing a single soldier!"

The speaker was Liu Ji, who was sitting at the very end.

When Xiang Liang asked how to defeat Jing Ju, Liu Ji, who had not had a chance to show his abilities, immediately stepped forward.

I hope to take this opportunity to showcase myself.

Zhang Liang agreed, saying, "General Xiang, Liu Ji was once under Jing Ju's command, but now he has abandoned the darkness and turned to the light."

"If this plan succeeds, not only can Pengcheng be easily captured, but most importantly, King Jingju of Chu will personally surrender the city."

"In that case, General Xiang truly embodies righteousness."

Xiang Liang sat there pondering for a while, and finally let out a breath and slowly nodded.

"Alright, let's proceed with this plan."

Xiang Liang hesitated, fearing that Liu Ji might be a spy for Jing Ju.

But what made Xiang Liang decide was that even if Liu Ji was an undercover agent, his troops couldn't cause any real trouble.

..................

Step out of the hall.

Liu Ji raised his head and looked at the sky.

He sought refuge with Xiang Liang, and although he borrowed five thousand soldiers, he was able to recapture Fengyi, imprison Yong Chi, and avenge his great grudge.

However, he himself only led a thousand followers to surrender.

Now, Xiang Liang is crossing the Yangtze River and advancing westward. Chen Ying, Ying Bu, and others who come to join him along the way, though arriving later, are being valued more highly than he has been.

Liu Ji held his breath, secretly wanting to find an opportunity to show off along the way.

But the rebel army heard of Xiang Yu's great name.

Regardless of anything else, they simply led their troops to surrender, without having any opportunity to demonstrate their abilities along the way.

This time, Xiang Liang led his army to garrison in Xiapi, intending to destroy Jing Ju and restore the banner of Chu. This gave Liu Ji an opportunity.

This time,

He also wanted to show Xiang Liang his abilities.

but....

Looking back at the hall, Liu Ji's eyes held a complex expression.

Although he had a good relationship with Zhang Liang, Fan Zeng's words resonated with him more.

Chen Sheng said it well.

Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny? Why should only the princes and nobles of the former six kingdoms be allowed to become kings?

Liu Ji was not convinced; he was unwilling to accept it!

This chaotic world has transformed him from a mere village head into the Duke of Pei, commanding thousands of soldiers.

But why can't he be king?

"Perhaps one day in the future, I too will become a king, who knows?"