Hearing Xiang An's words, Han Xin did not answer. He merely stood where he was, watching Xiang An bandage his own chest. He watched for a long while in silent stillness before finally letting out a long sigh, bowing, and taking his leave.
He understood Xiang Yu's actions.
Liu Ji could not be killed, but a show of force was necessary. Yet Xiang Yu's own attitude remained exceedingly unclear.
This had been a test, yet Xiang Yu had not tested him.
That made Han Xin's own test of Xiang Yu seem strange as well.
Just as Han Xin himself had said, beneath this Hongmen Banquet, undercurrents surged. Yet it was not merely the Xiang Family's undercurrents directed at Liu Ji—Han Xin, too, had been weighing the members of the Xiang Family, especially Xiang Yu.
He was a proud and ambitious man. The one he served ought to be a mighty lord who looked down upon the world.
In his eyes, Xiang An was that person.
Whether in bearing, strategy, foresight, or even his manner of commanding subordinates, Xiang An satisfied Han Xin completely. Han Xin believed that with his assistance, even attaining the position of supreme ruler of the realm would be effortless.
But Xiang An had an elder brother.
An elder brother to whom Xiang An was utterly devoted—perhaps even blindly loyal.
Did this elder brother pressing down upon Xiang An's head not also press down upon Han Xin's?
If that elder brother had both talent and virtue, if he were likewise someone worth serving, Han Xin would not have been so despairing. But in each of these major events, not a single decision Xiang Yu had made matched Han Xin's expectations.
On the eve of the Battle of Julu, Xiang Yu had sent Xiang An to attack Hangu