Xiang An wasted no time. Early the next morning, he mustered fifteen thousand Chu soldiers and led them toward Chengwu.
As they marched, Xiang An constantly pondered what path Western Chu should take next.
Liu Ji in the west needed more time. The army led by Han Xin was clearly far more formidable than the one Liu Ji commanded personally, and its campaign north against the Two Qins was progressing swiftly. More than two months had passed since Chencang fell, and their gains were considerable. Xiang An knew Han Xin very well. The likes of Dong Yi and Sima Xin could not possibly stop him.
But that did not mean Liu Ji himself was weak. On the contrary, with the aid of Zhang Er, King of Changshan, and Zhang Liang, the defensive line Liu Ji had established in the heart of the Central Plains would be incredibly solid. Even Xiang Yu would need time to break through it, not to mention the harassment from Three Qi under Peng Yue along the Yellow River to the north.
The strength of an individual could not dictate the course of an entire war. Besides, Xiang An feared an even more serious problem.
Xiang Yu had already lost the hearts of the people.
Three Qi was not much of a problem, whether for Western Chu or for Gong Ao, King of Linjiang, Wu Rui, King of Mount Heng, and Ying Bu, King of Nine Rivers, to Western Chu's west. But—
Not one of those three was willing to send reinforcements.
Wu Rui and Gong Ao were both shrewd men. Xiang An would not have been surprised if Liu Ji had promised them something back when the feudal lords gathered at Xianyang, or if they had already formed ties. Liu Ji had been one of