The peace talks at Xingyang went very smoothly. Xiang Yu did not take the opportunity to impose any conditions and withdrew from part of Huai-Si, leaving it to Qi State.
He asked only for a few key passes leading to Jiangdong. He was preparing to return there and would remain within the Chu lands from then on.
Since he could not become king of all under heaven, being a King of Chu ruling his own territory was quite good too.
Liu Bang was filled with frustration, but he did not dare refuse.
When he saw Lü Zhi, Liu Ying, and Liu Le, he showed no joy. Instead, he grew even more irritable.
Lü Zhi felt the joy of regaining her freedom, as well as the delight of finally being able to grasp power again.
Luo Xin had often instructed her over the past two years, and she had made tremendous progress.
Deep down, Liu Bang even felt a trace of fear. The Lü Clan was simply too powerful-or rather, the power of the patriarchal clan system was simply too strong.
Liu Ying was a child most people had barely met, yet merely by being the eldest legitimate son, he had been born with so many people's support.
But could Liu Ying control that power? Liu Bang silently asked himself.
The Chu Army began withdrawing, and the Han army withdrew as well. Xiang Yu began sending the Sons of Jiangdong back to their ancestral homeland in batches.
As successive groups of the Sons of Jiangdong left the lands north of Jianghuai alongside the Chu people, the great stone weighing on Xiang Yu's heart finally began to settle.
At least the Sons of Jiangdong had been preserved. He could still return to Jiangdong and face his ancestors.
Securing Lü Zhi's return was