Taking over the Imperial Palace

He strode over to Xiang Yu, who now looked dishevelled, his royal robes slightly torn, a trickle of blood running down his temple. The Imperial grasped the front of Xiang Yu's tunic, hauling him to his feet. "Where is he?" he snarled, his voice thick with fury.

Xiang Yu, despite the pain and the humiliation, met his father's gaze with unwavering defiance. "I don't know," he retorted, his voice hoarse but steady. "Perhaps you should be asking me that question, Father."

The Imperial Lord's rage intensified. He had already checked the palace security. There were no breaches, no unauthorized entries or exits. And, as Xiang Yu had claimed, there was no record of him leaving his main palace. Everything pointed to Han Xin still being within the supposedly impenetrable confines of his secret lab.