Three Kingdoms: Domination of the World

Chapter 274 Surnames in Troubled Times

The smoke of the Battle of Julu gradually cleared, but the Qin Palace was still shrouded in a dark cloud. When Emperor Qin II, Hu Hai, heard the news of the defeat at Julu, he was furious and urgently summoned Zhao Gao to question him.

Zhao Gao was terrified, but unwilling to sit and wait for death, so he decided to kill Hu Hai. In the gloomy palace, Zhao Gao took advantage of Hu Hai's unpreparedness and attacked him, ending his life. He then established Ziying as King of Qin, hoping to save his own precarious power.

At that time, Liu Bang's army was like a surging wave, advancing like a broken bamboo and taking the lead in entering Guanzhong. After Ziying killed Zhao Gao, he saw that the situation was hopeless and had no choice but to surrender to Liu Bang.

When Liu Bang first entered the Qin Palace, he looked at the rare treasures and graceful palace maids, and a trace of greed arose in his heart. His soldiers also looted and took the palace's property and palace maids for themselves.

A general suggested that Liu Bang send troops to guard Hangu Pass to prevent other princes from entering the pass, and Liu Bang actually followed this suggestion.

Zhang Liang was horrified when he heard about this and rushed to see Liu Bang in a panic. He looked directly into Liu Bang's eyes and said earnestly:

"Pei Gong, Qin lost the support of the people due to its tyranny and cruelty, and fell under the reign of the Second Emperor. If you act in the same way now, how would you be any different from the Second Emperor?"

Liu Bang frowned slightly, a trace of reluctance and displeasure appeared on his face, and he said in a deep voice:

"Zifang, I went through so much hardship to overthrow the tyrannical Qin Dynasty. Can't I even enjoy a little bit of comfort?"

Seeing Liu Bang's attitude, Zhang Liang felt anxious and angry, with veins on his forehead throbbing slightly. He explained to Liu Bang in detail the dangerous situation the Han army was in.

But Liu Bang turned a deaf ear to him. Zhang Liang was so angry that he turned around and wanted to leave, thinking to himself:

"If Pei Gong persists in his wrongdoing, this promising situation will be ruined in an instant."

Xiao He had just safely stored away his priceless collection of Qin Dynasty laws and regulations, statecraft, and strategic intelligence. Upon hearing the news, he hurried to the Qin Palace to find Liu Bang. His steps were hurried, his expression solemn, knowing full well that this matter concerned life and death.

When Xiang Yu and the other princes learned what Liu Bang had done, they were very angry.

"Haha! Liu Bang is courting his own death!" Fan Zeng on the side also sneered, twirling his beard and said excitedly.

"I've long known that Liu Bang is ambitious, but he's been incredibly cunning and has escaped my plans many times. Now that he's acting this way, I have this leverage, and I'm determined to completely eliminate the Han army."

In Huaiyin County of Jiujiang County, this place belonged to Jiujiang County of the Qin Dynasty. Its scope was vast, covering the areas south of the Huaihe River in Anhui and Henan, east of Huanggang in Hubei, and the entire province of Jiangxi.

In the city, twenty-one graceful women quietly appeared. They were dressed in elegant clothes, but their extraordinary temperament could not be concealed. Walking on the quaint streets, they were like flowers blooming in spring, attracting everyone's attention and causing quite a stir in the city.

Years of war had plunged the people of the Qin Dynasty into dire straits. The people on the streets looked haggard, their bodies withered, their eyes filled with fatigue and fear.

Dressed in rags, they struggled to survive amidst the rubble, each step weighing a thousand pounds, constantly fearing a sudden attack from bandits. Some, in a desperate attempt to survive, resorted to cannibalism, leaving the entire city of Huaiyin suffused with despair and desolation.

Zhen Jiang had a pretty face, like a fairy from heaven. Her appearance instantly attracted many eyes, including some street thugs.

A thug with a face full of flesh and a ruffian's aura stared at Zhen Jiang with lustful eyes, a wicked smile on his lips, and swaggered forward and said:

"Girl, since you are so pretty, why don't you follow me? I will make sure you have everything you need."

Zhen Jiang's eyebrows were raised, a murderous look flashed in her eyes, and her jade hand tightly grasped the hilt of the sword.

"Looking for death!" She shouted and drew her sword. A cold light flashed and sword energy shot out. The gangster didn't even have time to scream before his head and body were separated.

Seeing this, the other thugs were so frightened that their legs went weak. They fell to their knees with a plop, their faces as pale as paper, their bodies trembling, and they begged for mercy in unison:

"Sir, please spare us. We will never do it again."

Zhen Jiang glanced at them coldly and ignored them. She was only worried about one thing, which was to find Ji Tao and the floating mother who were unhappy with Han Xin.

After some inquiries, Zhen Jiang learned that the butcher wanted to marry Ji Tao. She was extremely anxious and hurried to the butcher's house.

At this time, the butcher's house was decorated with lights and was full of joy. The guests were making a lot of noise, preparing to witness the wedding.

Zhen Jiang stepped into the yard, his eyes sharp as a torch, and shouted loudly:

"Miss Ji, have you forgotten your agreement with Han Xin?"

Ji Tao was wearing wedding clothes, her face was haggard, her eyes were full of helplessness and bitterness, she said softly:

"Agreement? I am a weak woman. If it weren't for the butcher, I would have died long ago."

The butcher heard the noise and came out of the house. Seeing that the wedding was interrupted, he glared at them, his face flushed, and he roared:

"Who are you? Why are you interrupting my wedding?"

Zhen Jiang held his head high and chest puffed out, his expression calm as he slowly said:

"Han Xin is a general under Xiang Yu. You can't afford to marry this girl."

When the butcher heard this, his heart skipped a beat. Thinking of Han Xin's past, he suddenly felt guilty. His originally high spirits instantly subsided, and he muttered:

"What...what should I do?"

He thought to himself:

"Han Xin is no longer the same person he once was. If I insist on marrying him, I'm afraid disaster will befall me."

Seeing the butcher's expression, Zhen Jiang did not take advantage of his power to bully others. She sighed softly, took out some money from her pocket, handed it to the butcher, and said:

"This money will be considered as compensation for you." The butcher took the money, his hands trembling slightly, and mixed feelings in his heart.

After handling this matter, Zhen Jiang immediately went to look for Han Xin's washerwoman. Along the way, she led everyone, stopping and starting, taking good care of Ji Tao and the washerwoman.

Whenever Zhen Jiang encountered sick people, she would always feel a trace of pity in her heart. Regardless of the slow pace, she would stop and use her medical skills to treat the people.

Her eyes were focused, and her hands were gentle, as if she were handling the most precious treasure in the world. Twenty-four people slowly moved forward in this chaotic world. Although the journey was slow, they also held hope and goodwill in their hearts.

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