It's normal that historical records don't explain the whereabouts of Xiang Yu's family. There aren't many records about Xiang Yu to begin with, and Yu Ji is only mentioned briefly. It would be even less likely that Xiang Yu's family members, who disappeared without a trace, would be mentioned, as it was a major taboo at the time.
Even Liu Bang's parents are rarely recorded in official history, and they don't even have names. The names of Liu Bang's parents that can be found in modern times are all from unofficial histories.
Therefore, to conclude that Xiang Yu had no descendants simply because it is not written in historical records is a highly irresponsible conjecture.
Even if Xiang Yu didn't have time to have children when he rebelled against Qin, he would naturally want to have children after he destroyed Qin. If Yu Ji couldn't have children, she would find someone else to have them. This is human nature and something that was valued in that era.
After learning that Xiang Yu was going home, Hao Jiu asked about the child, and the answer surprised Hao Jiu.
Yu Ji did not bear any children for Xiang Yu, but Xiang Yu did have a son, born to Yuan Shi. Unfortunately, Yuan Shi passed away after giving birth to the child.
Xiang Yu's son was named Xiang Long, with the nickname Long'er. He was raised by Yu Ji, who treated Long'er as her own flesh and blood.
But when Xiang Yu and Yu Ji arrived home, they found no one there.
Fortunately, an old servant came from outside not long after. Xiang Yu called him Zhongbo. Upon asking, he learned that the old lady had taken all the trustworthy people in the family and hidden in the Kuaiji Mountains, and the servants who were not very familiar with her had also been dismissed.
So Zhongbo led Xiang Yu and Yu Ji to Mount Kuaiji, where they arrived at this small courtyard with a fence and met Xiang Yu's mother.
"Greetings, Mother." Xiang Yu and Yu Ji bowed in unison.
“Yu’er…” The old lady’s nose tingled and tears welled up in her eyes.
"Mother." Xiang Yu hurried a few steps and helped the old lady up.
At this moment, Xiang Long and a young woman also came out of another wooden house. This woman was also a member of the Xiang clan and, according to seniority, was Xiang Long's older sister.
"Long'er!" Yu Ji saw her long-awaited child at a glance.
"Mother!" Xiang Long was overjoyed and rushed towards Yu Ji.
...
Looking at Xiang Yu and his family reunited, Master An was filled with emotion. He never expected that Xiang Yu could actually escape from that deadly situation, and that Yu Ji was still alive.
Did I miscalculate? How could that be...?
"Congratulations on the reunion of Xiang Yu's family," Master An said, bowing with his hands clasped.
Hao Jiu carefully examined this Taoist priest An. To be honest, he looked no different from an ordinary person. In fact, when Hao Jiu deliberately peeked out, the other party did not notice.
However, in historical records, this Taoist priest An was named An Qisheng, and he was an absolute immortal. Both Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han spent a lot of effort to find him, hoping to obtain the secret to immortality, but they all failed.
An Qisheng and Xiang Yu had met once before. Xiang Yu wanted to give An Qisheng an important position, but he did not agree. If An Qisheng wanted to be an official, he could have been during the time of Qin Shi Huang, even as the Grand Preceptor, who was second only to the emperor.
An Qisheng valued seeking immortality and enlightenment, while worldly matters were left to fate. When he first met Xiang Yu, he wanted to give him some advice, as the world was in chaos and the people were suffering, and An Qisheng couldn't bear it.
Unfortunately, Xiang Yu did not believe in ghosts and gods at the time, and regarded An Qisheng as just an ordinary capable person. He did not take his admonitions and reminders to heart.
An Qisheng's mere words of reminder already implied a disruption to the natural order, so he didn't try to persuade Xiang Yu, but rather stopped there.
Later, An Qisheng's warning came true, and Xiang Yu could no longer find him.
Now, the two who would never have met again have met once more, with an additional bystander present.
The old lady wiped away her tears and hurriedly said, "Yu'er, Master An has helped us a lot. His intention in letting us live in seclusion here is also very good."
"Thank you for saving me, Immortal Master An." Xiang Yu bowed deeply. If he hadn't met the God of Wine and changed his fate, Immortal Master An would have been the savior of his entire family.
"Your Majesty, you flatter me. I was merely offering a suggestion. It is all thanks to the wisdom and open-mindedness of the old lady. Uh, may I ask how the war is going, Your Majesty?" An Qisheng felt that even if Xiang Yu broke through the encirclement, he probably wouldn't have many soldiers left. The flames of war would likely soon reach Jiangdong, and widespread suffering would be inevitable.
"After breaking out of Gaixia, I have won several great victories. Liu Ji's army is entrenched in the Shouchun area and is confronting our army. I suppose they are waiting for Qi's reinforcements to arrive..." Xiang Yu briefly explained the current situation, but did not mention the matter of the god of wine.
An Qisheng's expression became increasingly interesting. Killing Chai Wu and others was nothing, but he had even captured Zhang Liang and Fan Kuai. Most importantly, Xiang Yu's main force was still intact, and Liu Ji's army might not be able to reach Jiangdong.
"Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful... Xiang Yu's military strategy is divine, I admire him to the fullest!"
“Immortal Master An, our meeting again is quite a coincidence. I humbly request your assistance once more. I need not ask for too much help, just to protect my family as you are doing now. I wish to take this opportunity to completely defeat Liu Ji and restore peace to the world.”
Xiang Yu clasped his hands in a bow. Having witnessed the god of wine's abilities, he dared not underestimate this immortal. He was determined to try and keep him in his camp.
“Uh, this…” An Qisheng hesitated. This was too strange. Xiang Yu, who was supposed to die, actually had a chance to turn defeat into victory. This was no ordinary matter.
Whew~~~~
Just then, the black horse neighed.
An Qisheng looked in the direction of the voice, and his eyes widened suddenly. "This humble Taoist priest agrees to King Xiang's request..."
Chapter 71 Prelude to the Final Battle
In fact, Xiang Yu was just asking the question casually. Back then, even Qin Shi Huang didn't leave An Qisheng alive. Although his current situation had improved, at most he could only control one-third of the country.
Surprisingly, An Qisheng agreed, as if he had been tripped up by a gold brick.
Hao Jiu did discover the reason, and An Qisheng's expression when looking at the black horse was practically drooling. Where was his supposed superior demeanor?
Hao Jiu knew a little about An Qisheng, who was recorded in historical records as an immortal. He was indeed a great man, but he was still far from becoming an immortal.
However, the fact that An Qisheng could discern the difference in the black horse is enough to prove that he was quite skilled.
In fact, the black horse had only taken one healing pill, so it looked as if it had eaten some rare and precious treasure, with all its old wounds, hidden injuries, and ailments being cured, and even its hooves becoming much thicker.
Xiang Yu reversed the situation with a life-or-death situation, and seeing that his black horse was growing in reverse and all its injuries were gone, An Qisheng was basically certain that Xiang Yu had encountered some kind of extraordinary event.
What truly attracted An Qisheng was this extraordinary encounter, or what could be called a predestined connection with the divine.
Since the pre-Qin period, Qi practitioners have flourished for a time, but very few have actually become immortals. This is because breathing exercises, self-cultivation, and other such practices are all auxiliary. The real path to immortality depends on fate, which means either consuming rare and precious herbs or having a serendipitous encounter with an immortal.
Therefore, An Qisheng agreed to Xiang Yu's request in order to find out the truth about this matter.
However, after some subtle probing, Xiang Yu didn't reveal any useful information, and Hao Jiu didn't ask him to tell him either.
Hao Jiu was actually quite interested in becoming an immortal, since becoming an immortal meant achieving immortality. Hao Jiu did achieve immortality, but Xiang Yu did not.
The weakest cultivation world is a mid-level world. If Hao Jiu went there now and encountered other systems, he would most likely be doomed. If Xiang Yu went there and faced those cultivators who could fly and escape, he would most likely not fare well either.
In short, Hao Jiu needs to keep Xiang Yu in the lower planes for a while longer. If he can help Xiang Yu become an immortal in the lower planes, then he can continue to bully weaker opponents and develop stealthily in the lower planes. Or you could call it "enduring hardship and biding his time".
However, Hao Jiu also knew that Xiang Yu's chances of becoming an immortal in the Chu-Han Contention world were slim, since the only recorded immortal, An Qisheng, only achieved immortality several hundred years later.
The reason it takes so long is mostly related to the environment. The scarcity of spiritual energy naturally results in fewer natural treasures, and their effects are very low. Directly absorbing spiritual energy to cultivate into an immortal is out of the question.
Single-mindedly pursuing the Dao, following the natural way, with a steadfast Dao heart, staying away from worldly affairs, avoiding karmic entanglements, practicing breathing exercises, strengthening the body, and purifying the mind and reducing desires—all for the purpose of living longer and accumulating more merit. This is the unique way to become an immortal in the spiritually depleted cultivation wasteland.
In An Qisheng's view, someone like Xiang Yu, who was so attached to the mortal world and committed so much killing, had absolutely no chance of becoming an immortal; even if he were to obtain the opportunity to become an immortal, it would be a waste.
However, An Qisheng couldn't figure out Xiang Yu's true strength or weakness, and he wouldn't easily lose his Dao heart. If this immortal destiny was truly destined for him, it would come to him without him having to snatch it. Helping Xiang Yu was the opportunity to obtain this immortal destiny.
In fact, Xiang Yu's request was not difficult to fulfill. It was simply to let him stay in Kuaiji Mountain for a while longer and take care of Xiang Yu's family. He just wanted peace of mind.
With the decisive battle against Liu Ji imminent, Xiang Yu truly couldn't afford to be distracted. With the reclusive master An Qisheng protecting him, he was completely at ease.
Of course, even without An Qisheng's help, there might not be much risk in these secluded mountains. Besides the old servant A Zhong, there are several other loyal guards who are skilled in martial arts.
They usually remain on guard around the perimeter and will not enter the hospital to disturb the elderly lady unless summoned by her.
Xiang Yu's habit of employing people was to trust them without suspicion and not to employ those he suspected. Therefore, there was no need to be too wary of these servants, guards, and An Qisheng. If something was going to happen, it would have happened long ago.
Moreover, with Hao Jiu as a top-notch assistant, even if An Qisheng really wanted to harm Xiang Yu and his family, it wouldn't be so easy.
After staying at Kuaiji Mountain for a few days, Xiang Yu quietly returned to Jiangcheng on his black horse, while Yu Ji remained at Kuaiji Mountain.
As soon as Xiang Yu returned to Jiang Cheng's residence, Ji Xin greeted him with a joyful expression.
"King Xiang! We have news of Ji Bu and the others!"
"Oh? Judging from your excitement, they must have established a foothold in Lu, right?" Xiang Yu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
“Exactly! And that’s not the only good news. Xiang Yu, guess who sent the message?” Ji Xin laughed heartily.
Xiang Yu frowned. Could it be that Xiang Zhuang had run back?
Just then, a young man walked out of the guest room; it was none other than Xiang Sheng.
"This humble general pays his respects to King Xiang!"
"Xiang Sheng? It's so good to see you're alright!" Xiang Yu was overjoyed; he had thought Xiang Sheng had already died in battle.
Xiang Sheng then recounted to Xiang Yu how he escaped danger and the situation in Boyang. The day after meeting Ji Bu and the others, he rushed to Jiangdong without stopping.
Hao Jiu knew Xiang Sheng. Besides Xiang Yu, the Xiang family had several outstanding talents. Xiang Zhuang and Xiang Sheng were military generals, while Xiang He was a civil official. Some historical evaluations say that Xiang He's abilities were comparable to Xiao He's. It was just a pity that when Pengcheng fell, Xiang He was captured and surrendered to the Han army.
Xiang Sheng was the most outstanding among the younger generation of the Xiang family, much stronger than Xiang Guan, Xiang Han and others. He was also somewhat similar to Xiang Yu in battle, and was greatly favored and valued by Xiang Yu.
Now that Xiang Sheng has returned on the eve of the decisive battle, it is a great help to Xiang Yu, who is just lacking a general who can stand alone.
The time ahead is for them to prepare for this decisive battle. Xiang Yu and Hao Jiu also discussed some strategies to repel the enemy. It is still an adventure as always, but the rewards are also very considerable, and even if they fail, there are corresponding ways to make up for it.
Hao Jiu also gave Xiang Yu some methods and suggestions to quickly improve the army's combat effectiveness. Xiang Yu accepted them all without hesitation, and they had some effect in just over half a month.
In addition, the entire Kuaiji Commandery was mobilized to provide logistical support for the Chu army, with ships carrying grain, fodder, and military equipment constantly traveling between the two banks of the Yangtze River.
Every Chu citizen knew that another defeat in this battle would mean the destruction of Chu. There was no other way but to fight. Many people volunteered to help defend the city or forge weapons, vowing to protect their homeland to the death.
During Xiang Yu's time at Kuaiji Mountain, troops were frequently mobilized in various parts of Jiangdong, and a pontoon bridge was also built across the Yangtze River southeast of Guchao to facilitate the transport of supplies between the two banks.
With the great war about to break out, most of the people of Jiujiang County chose to leave Jiujiang to avoid disaster. After this bridge was built, many people from Jiujiang County chose to go to Jiangdong. Before leaving, Xiang Yu specifically instructed that the people should not be prevented from crossing the bridge.
However, after receiving news that Cao Can's 100,000-strong Qi army had arrived in Jiujiang County, the bridge was completely taken over. Not only were ordinary people forbidden from crossing the bridge, but even Chu generals were not allowed to cross it at will. The same applied to ferries, and the two sides of the Yangtze River were instantly separated.
Everyone understood that the decisive battle was finally about to begin, and the expressions of the vast majority of people were extremely solemn, even those of the anti-Chu coalition forces who had an absolute advantage in troop strength.
Shouchun, the main base of the Han army.
The last military conference before the decisive battle of the anti-Chu coalition.
Liu Ji had a beaming face and didn't seem nervous at all, but in reality he was terrified because he had dreamt last night that Xiang Yu had ripped his head off.
"Gentlemen, what good strategies do you have to defeat the enemy? Please share them."
"Your Majesty, I believe we should send out more scouts to ascertain the Chu army's movements and defenses. Only in this way can we target the enemy's vital points and defeat them," Cao Can said, bowing.
"Haha, Lao Cao, you and the strategist have the same idea. Moreover, the scouts we sent out have already grasped the Chu army's deployment. Strategist, why don't you tell everyone about the Chu army's situation first?" Liu Ji laughed.
"Yes." Chen Ping cupped his hands in response, then came to the front of the map. "Gentlemen, after Xiang Yu returned to Jiangdong, he immediately ordered the construction of a pontoon bridge in the southeast of Guchao. On the surface, it was to facilitate the people of Jiujiang County to go to Jiangdong, but in reality, it had already exposed the Chu army's intention to abandon Jiujiang County and defend Jiangdong."
The latest intelligence also confirms this. According to our scouts, Shuxian, Dongcheng, Tangyi and other cities are now almost empty cities, and the troops have been concentrated in the three major cities of Juchao, Liyang and Guangling.
The Chu army in Kuaiji Commandery also concentrated on building fortifications along the river, with the largest number of troops stationed in Wuhu, Rushan, and Jiangcheng. Meanwhile, Xiang Yu's main cavalry force was stationed at Guchao, the closest location to the pontoon bridge.
Based on intelligence from various sources, Xiang Yu was indeed prepared to withdraw from Jiujiang Commandery. According to Xiang Yu's past combat style, it is very likely that he would use his main cavalry force to launch a surprise attack on our army. Even if he failed, he could quickly retreat to Jiangdong via the pontoon bridge.
The walls of the three major cities of Juchao, Liyang, and Guangling are sturdy, and with sufficient troops and supplies, they could hold out for several months. If we capture these three cities before crossing the river, we will give Xiang Yu several months to regroup.