It was now July.
"If you submit, you may become my subject. If not, then die." Xiang An looked down at Zang Tu, who was kneeling before him, and spoke calmly without expression.
"I am willing to surrender." Zang Tu's face turned deathly pale. After saying those words, it was as if all the strength had left his body.
"Liao Ye, untie him." Xiang An lowered his hand from the hilt of his sword, turned, and walked outside without sparing another glance at what happened behind him.
Since it was a grand gamble, there had to be a prize worthy of it.
And Xiang An's spoils were the lands of more than half of Yan.
His goal of sustaining war through war had been achieved. Occupying Yan's heartland helped Xiang An stabilize his finances and replenish his grain supplies. The remaining small portion of land had been taken by Han Guang, King of Liaodong.
At the same time, Han Xin finally found an opening in the defenses of the Wei-Zhao allied army. In one stroke, he shattered Wei's defensive line, captured King Bao of Wei alive, and incorporated the whole of Wei into the Han Kingdom's territory.
By this point, nearly all the feudal kings Xiang Yu had enfeoffed were gone.
Only six remained to contend for the realm: Xiang Yu, King of Western Chu; Xiang An, King of Northern Chu; Liu Ji, King of Han; Han Guang, King of Liaodong; Gong Ao, King of Linjiang; and King Xie of Zhao.
Yet Gong Ao still acted like a turtle hiding in its shell. Liu Ji sent an envoy to ask what the old fellow was thinking, but the envoy returned with a baffled look on his face. Gong Ao had simply moved his border back another several dozen li.
Liu