Xiang Yu traveled day and night from Qi Land toward the Chu lands. He had barely crossed two hundred li beyond the Qi-Chu border when he saw a member of his clan galloping toward him, his armor cracked and covered in great patches of blood, a swaddled infant held against his chest.
On seeing Xiang Yu, the man immediately reined in his horse, dropped straight to his knees, and broke into sobs. "Your Majesty, Xiangying City has fallen to the Coalition of the Lords led by Liu Ji. The Lords King are plundering the city.
"Our clansmen fought to the death to save the little prince."
He was not inventing the coalition's wholesale plundering of Xiangying City. Liu Bang's control over the Feudal Lords was very weak. They were true allies, with no formal bond of ruler and subject between them.
Back then, Xiang Yu had carried back to Chu State all the treasures Qin State had plundered from the Six States, then set Xianyang Palace ablaze. Nearly half its palace buildings had been reduced to scorched earth. As for Epang Palace, only its foundations had been laid; even if he had wanted to burn it, there had been nothing to burn.
Now those treasures had fallen into the Feudal Lords' hands, and naturally they would fight over them. Still, the overall situation remained under control: they were only looting, not massacring the city.
These nobles had all personally witnessed Luo Ling command wind and rain. Everyone knew he was watching them from Zhao City. Anyone who dared massacre the city was probably asking to be struck by a couple of blasts of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning.
Xiang Yu reached out to take his only child. Looking at the infant's tear-streaked face, he nearly wept himself. Consort Yu burst