A modern military academy instructor specializing in military history unexpectedly transmigrates into Xiang Yu, the Hegemon King of Western Chu. He wakes on the eve of the mass execution at Xin'an, where more than 200,000 surrendered Qin soldiers are about to be buried alive. Knowing how the Feast at Hong Gate, the Chu-Han contention, and his own death at the Wu River will end, he decides to begin by stopping the massacre and rewriting his own fate and that of the realm.
But saving lives is only the first step. With provisions running low, old grudges between Qin and Chu, clan interference, and the other lords watching from all sides, Liu Bang has already seized the initiative and entered the pass first. Beset by troubles within and threats without, Xiang Yu uses his Hegemon's courage and modern military principles to reform the Chu army, restore discipline, and appoint capable people. Amid the clash between ideals and reality, he works to win over the finest minds in the land, including Han Xin, Xiao He, and Zhang Liang.
In this life, he must not only defeat Liu Bang, but also overcome the old Xiang Yu, headstrong and brutal, and forge a path worthy of a hegemon unlike any before.
Stopping the killing is only the first step. Where will the grain come from? How will the army be governed? Which matters more: loyalty to old comrades or the newly established military code? He brings two thousand years of military thought and organizational experience, but in an age of bronze and bamboo slips, he must chip away at the real wall behind "Are kings and nobles born to their station?" The wall that keeps the people forever as pawns.
The same wooden ladle to distribute grain, the same wooden board to enforce the law, the same military orders for those surnamed Xiang and those surnamed Qin alike. He wants more than just to defeat Liu Bang and avoid the Wu River. He wants to win against the Xiang Yu he used to be, the hegemon who shook the realm with his strength but lost the hearts of the people.
But every reform comes at the cost of blood. He executes old friends, loses former followers, alienates his clan, and draws the wary eyes of the other lords.
Can the road to the Wu River really be diverted?
