The King of Chu chose betrayal.
But he chose it too late.
The meeting was arranged with care.
Neutral ground.
Limited escort.
Ceremonial terms.
The envoy had carried Wu An's acceptance back with relief—and with fear. Because even in surrender, nothing about Wu An felt safe.
And yet, the King of Chu prepared his ambush anyway.
Hidden troops along the approach routes.
Archers positioned in forest lines.
River units ready to cut off retreat.
A single strike.
Kill Wu An.
End the war.
But Wu An did not walk into traps.
He walked around them.
From the moment the invitation was accepted, he had already seen it.
Not the details.
But the intention.
"He's not surrendering," Wu An said quietly at Yunhai Port.
Shen Yue did not need explanation.
"He's desperate," she replied.
Liao Yun added, "And desperate men take risks."
Wu An nodded.
"So we give him the illusion he needs."
The meeting still happened.
Or rather—
Something that looked like it.
A small delegation moved inland.
Flags raised.
Slow.
Visible.
Chu's hidden forces moved into position.
Archers drew.
Commanders waited.
And then—
Nothing.
The "Wu An" they saw—
Was not Wu An.
By the time the signal to strike was given—
The real army was already behind them.
Liang forces moved with terrifying precision.
Multiple columns.
No hesitation.
No warning.
The ambush became the ambushed.
Chu's hidden forces were struck from the rear before they even engaged. Units scattered, formations collapsed, signals lost in chaos.
What was meant to be a killing blow—
Turned into collapse.
And Wu An did not stop.
He did not chase the ambush.
He bypassed it.
Straight toward the heart.
The capital of Chu—Jiangling—did not expect him.
Not like this.
Not this fast.
The outer defenses were still preparing for a negotiated peace.
The gates were not fully reinforced.
The army was not positioned for a siege.
By the time the alarm sounded—
Liang banners were already visible beyond the walls.
Panic spread faster than command.
Orders clashed.
Units moved in different directions.
Some prepared for defense.
Others for retreat.
Wu An gave only one command.
"Forward."
Artillery shattered the gates before noon.
Black Tiger battalions breached the inner districts before sunset.
By nightfall—
The palace was surrounded.
The capital did not burn.
It froze.
Inside the palace, the nobility gathered.
Some prayed.
Some argued.
Some attempted to flee.
None succeeded.
Wu An entered without resistance.
Not because there were no guards.
But because the guards did not know what they were protecting anymore.
The King of Chu was found in the inner hall.
Not fighting.
Not fleeing.
Waiting.
He looked at Wu An as he entered.
Then gave a faint, bitter smile.
"You saw through it," the king said.
Wu An did not deny it.
"You were close," Wu An replied.
The king laughed softly.
"Not close enough."
He did not beg.
He did not resist.
Because he understood.
The war had already ended.
The nobility did not survive the night.
As before—
Names were read.
Charges declared.
Judgments carried out.
The same pattern.
The same message.
But the people—
Were spared.
Grain was distributed.
Order restored.
Looting forbidden.
Fear turned—
Not into rebellion—
But submission.
Because Wu An was not just fast.
He was inevitable.
Within days—
Ninety percent of Chu's territory fell under Liang control.
Not through prolonged siege.
But through collapse.
The river—
Once Chu's greatest strength—
Now carried Liang ships freely.
And the King of Chu—
Was placed in chains.
Alive.
Waiting.
Not for mercy.
But for decision.
Far to the northeast—
There was no collapse.
Only force.
Wei and Zhao had grown tired of waiting.
Of hesitation.
Of slow advances.
So they chose something simpler.
"Break them."
The order spread across both armies.
No more probing.
No more caution.
Shock.
And awe.
Wei's infantry advanced in overwhelming formations.
Zhao's cavalry struck in waves.
Together—
They moved like a storm.
Liang's illusions no longer slowed them.
The camps meant nothing now.
The deception had been understood.
And when a force of that size stops doubting—
It becomes unstoppable.
Han Liang's fortress trembled under the pressure.
Sun Ke's defenses cracked.
The outer lines—
Began to fall.
One position after another.
Not instantly.
But steadily.
The cost was high.
But Wei did not care.
Zhao did not care.
They had chosen speed.
And now—
They had it.
Within weeks—
They reached the outer edges of Beiliang.
Other key Zhou cities began to feel the pressure.
The war had shifted again.
In the south—
Wu An had won.
In the east—
He was about to be tested.
Back in Yunhai Port, the news arrived.
Liao Yun read it first.
Then handed it to Wu An.
"Wei and Zhao have broken through," he said.
Wu An read it once.
Then folded the report.
Shen Yue watched him carefully.
"This is it," she said.
Wu An nodded.
"Yes."
Because now—
For the first time—
Victory in one direction—
Meant nothing—
If he lost in another.
And for the first time in a long time—
Wu An was no longer ahead of the war.
The war—
Had caught up to him.