For seven consecutive days, Roy never left Hongmen—or, more accurately, he never left the largest estate within Hongmen.
Only after these seven days did the 'Hongmen Banquet' truly conclude. Those in the know understood what had transpired, while the uninformed merely assumed it had been a week-long feast.
As for how future historians would record it—that was their concern.
Conceiving an heir was no simple matter. Fortunately, Roy was merely a Campione, his bodily functions no different from an ordinary human's, and he still retained strong reproductive capabilities. Had his physiology ever ceased to be human, bearing offspring might have become impossible.
In the world of Campiones, Erica was a descendant of one, and many magus families traced their lineage back to Campiones. This proved that Campiones could indeed reproduce and leave behind heirs, just like ordinary humans.
Even so, getting a woman pregnant was rarely successful on the first try, hence the seven-day-long banquet. Although this era lacked instruments like ultrasounds, Roy was well-versed in various magical arts. Only when he was absolutely certain that Liu Ji was with child did she finally let him off the hook.
Outside Hongmen, Liu Ji sat astride a magnificent black steed with four snow-white hooves, resembling the legendary Wuzhui. Her face was radiant, her expression even more alluring, brimming with vitality. After those seven days, she seemed to have fully matured, her features now perfectly defined, as if she had just emerged from a bath—glistening, soft, and enchanting. The once unyielding steel had finally melted into supple silk.
"Your hospitality has been most generous, Overlord. I am deeply grateful," Liu Ji said from atop her horse, clasping her hands in salute with a smile. Then, almost imperceptibly, she rubbed her abdomen, as if listening for the stirrings of new life.
Roy chuckled from his own steed, Wuzhui. Though he wasn't exactly sore or sporting dark circles under his eyes, his brow did twitch slightly.
You were the one generously entertained—I certainly didn't have it easy...
Feeling somewhat guilty for essentially forcing Liu Ji into becoming emperor—dragging this woman, who had once aspired to a carefree life, into striving for greatness—he had indulged her over those seven days, letting her revel in the role of ruler while he resigned himself to being little more than a tool.
Not that he minded. With Liu Ji's beauty—far from being some "Princess Qiao Biluo"—Roy hardly considered himself at a loss. If anything, he'd gotten the better end of the deal, especially since Liu Ji had taken the lead, leaving him with little to do but lie back and enjoy.
"I hope the King of Han will return to Guanzhong and Shu and rule with compassion," Roy said, cupping his hands meaningfully. "I shall divide the land among the feudal lords, praying only for an end to war and prosperity for the people."
Liu Ji met his gaze, understanding the deeper message in his words—his hope that she would swiftly unify the realm and spare its suffering people from the horrors of war, from the desperation of trading children for food.
The feudal lords care only for power and profit. You alone truly think of this land and its people, pleading for their welfare. Very well—I shall govern with benevolence as you wish. Though I relish luxury, I can still embrace frugality when needed.
She gritted her teeth, not daring to look at Roy any longer, afraid her resolve might crumble under his gaze. Steeling herself, she turned away and rode off with her hundred personal guards.
Once I've crushed the feudal lords and pacified the realm, I'll see you again. And then, let's see what excuses you have left!
Before long, news spread through the Han army: King Liu Ji, now enfeoffed in Guanzhong and Shu, could no longer return to Pei County. But in remembrance of her homeland, she married Lü Zhi, daughter of a wealthy Pei family. At last, the King of Han—already of considerable age and high status—had a wife. With this, the Han forces stabilized, awaiting only the birth of an heir to secure the future.
...
After Liu Ji's departure from Hongmen, Roy took a brief respite before mobilizing his army, marching straight for Xianyang.
Since Liu Ji invaded the Guanzhong region, Xianyang had remained without a true ruler. Although Roy divided the Guanzhong territory between Zhang Han and Liu Ji, neither the King of Yong nor the King of Han were foolish enough to actually reside in the former Qin capital. Thus, nominally, Xianyang still fell under the jurisdiction of Qin Prince Ziying.
However, Prince Ziying dared not live in the Qin palace either, staying instead in his original residence. It wasn't until Roy's Chu army arrived in Xianyang that the city finally had a master.
The Xianyang Palace was located north of the Wei River. Construction began when Duke Xiao of Qin moved the capital to Xianyang and was completed during the reign of King Zhao of Qin. Later, when the First Emperor unified the six states, the palace underwent continuous expansion, eventually covering an area five times larger than the Forbidden City of the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Of course, in this era before the Common Era, while the Xianyang Palace was vast in scale, it couldn't compare to the Forbidden City in terms of refinement. Had the Qin dynasty endured for centuries, the palace might have achieved greater elegance. Alas, it collapsed after only two generations.
"The Qin emperor swept the six states, his tiger's gaze so mighty!
Brandishing his sword to cleave the floating clouds, all lords came west to bow!"
Roy sat upright in the Zhangtai Palace, murmuring the verse to himself.
The Zhangtai Palace was the primary site of Qin's political activities. During Qin's conquest of the six states, all feudal lords faced west and paid homage beneath its halls. The line "all lords came west to bow" from Li Bai's poem referred precisely to this very palace!
Historical records state that the First Emperor personally handled affairs here, "wielding the brush by day to adjudicate cases, poring over documents by night." Memorials from ministers, commanderies, and counties converged here in an endless stream, delivered to Zhangtai for the First Emperor's personal review.
"The First Emperor micromanaged everything, attending to countless matters daily. That the Qin state could conquer the six states was indeed a testament to his brilliance—but such a work ethic would surely lead to an early death...
'Jade bridles, carved saddles, the pleasure-seeking haunts;
The towers so high, the Zhangtai Road unseen.'
Zhangtai Palace, Zhangtai Road... In later ages, 'Zhangtai Road' became a euphemism for brothels! Hahahaha!!"
Roy slapped the table and burst into laughter. The Qin emperor's Zhangtai Palace had once compelled the homage of feudal lords, and the road before it was a place of prosperity. Yet, a mere millennium later, it became synonymous with pleasure quarters. History truly was amusing—how meanings could diverge so drastically in just a thousand years.
Seated in the very chair where the First Emperor had reviewed memorials day and night, Roy stroked his chin in thought before suddenly calling out, "...Attendants!"
"What are your orders, Overlord?"
A soldier immediately knelt before him in response.
"Execute Prince Ziying and all those related by blood to the First Emperor!"
"As you command!"
Without hesitation, the soldier departed to relay the brutal decree.
From the moment Roy took control of the Xianyang Palace, Prince Ziying had sought an audience, but Roy refused, instead issuing this ruthless command without delay.
Only after the soldier left did Roy withdraw his gaze. Leaning back in the imperial throne once reserved solely for the First Emperor, he sighed. "...Now this is truly the fall of an old dynasty and the rise of a new one."
The next day, Xianyang was gripped by terror, filled only with the wails of the Qin royal family. The Second Emperor, Hu Hai, had slaughtered all his siblings, severing the First Emperor's direct bloodline. Now, the Overlord of Western Chu had exterminated the remaining Qin royal lineage. The House of Ying, of the Zhao clan, was no more—fulfilling the famous prophecy of the southern Chu sage:
"Though Chu has but three clans, it is Chu that will destroy Qin!"