"Life was like a play; true feelings were the foundation. Take her hand, then drag her off to feed the dogs!"
Fan Zeng's gaze was deep and weathered as he looked intently at Xiang Yu. In a sighing yet sincere tone, he slowly said this.
"Uh..."
Xiang Yu's expression stiffened. He was plainly astonished and utterly caught off guard. He had never expected the dignified master strategist Fan Zeng to utter such a crude and vile Chu saying.
Thinking of Yu Ji again, Xiang Yu felt a spasm of pain in his heart. He forced himself to mutter awkwardly, "Isn't that a bit harsh? I rather admire 'life is like a play'! As for the rest... true feelings still exist in this world. Without true feelings, could one still be considered human? And how many people could truly sever all feeling and all attachment?"
"The absence of true feelings does not mean severing all feeling and attachment; it is a matter of degree. Looking at the greater picture, the Great Chu Imperial Dynasty has hundreds of millions of subjects and a court full of civil and military officials. There are naturally many loyal people, but the vast majority seek something and hope for something. If our dynasty had no hope, if Your Majesty were incompetent, without prestige or strength, how many would treat you sincerely and remain unswerving unto death?"
Fan Zeng shook his head and slowly explained in a hoarse, weathered voice. His sleepy-looking eyes were profound and obscure, as though they had seen through human hearts and through life itself.
"Looking at the smaller picture—personal romantic entanglements—how many can truly treat one another with sincerity? There are such people, certainly. Nearly everyone experiences the agony of true feelings, then reflects, examines themselves, and comes to understand. Looking over