Han Xin was sitting alone in the room where Xiang An and his officers held meetings, silently fiddling with a sand table.
"Brother Han, still working through tactics?"
Han Xin turned his head and saw Liao Ye standing in the doorway with a basket in hand, watching him with a smile.
Perhaps because he had been in a good mood lately, Han Xin had developed quite an appetite. He had visibly filled out and grown much sturdier.
"Oh, Brother Liao." Han Xin raised a hand in greeting, then turned back to the sand table.
"It's time for the midday meal. Come eat something." Setting the basket aside, Liao Ye cheerfully took out two large bowls of rice and a small plate of vegetables. There were even bits of mutton in it.
"Pretty lavish, isn't it?" Han Xin's brow twitched as he picked up his chopsticks.
"Hehe, it was meant for Lord Xiang An, but he had a luncheon over in the rear hall, so it fell into our hands instead." Liao Ye lifted his bowl and wolfed down several mouthfuls. "I saw a huge crowd gathered by the city gate today. I heard quite a few people had come to join our Grand General."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Han Xin shoveled rice into his mouth as well, occasionally taking a bite of vegetables. "How many people? Did they say?"
"They didn't say, but there must've been quite a lot." Liao Ye smacked his lips as though he were making a very serious point.
"That was about as useful as saying nothing." Han Xin rolled his eyes, set his bowl on the table, wiped the corner of his mouth, and went back to studying the sand table.
"Did the general tell you where we're fighting next?" Liao Ye had not