The Shadow of Qin
I had recently been gripped by unease. The atmosphere in Wei was far from ordinary. Even after stripping Lord Xinling of her position as General-in-Chief, the King of Wei's wariness toward her had only deepened. Zhao's pressure on Wei, backed by Lian Po, had merely stoked the king's fury. I had expected as much. The King of Wei had long regarded Lord Xinling with a mixture of reverence and rejection, even before she fled to Zhao. Now she had returned with even greater prestige, and after the recent incident she might well harbor ill will toward him. To the king, she was nothing short of a festering thorn.
Those with any foresight had already anticipated this outcome. Lord Xinling's retainers, still sheltering in Zhao with her, dared not urge her to act for Wei's sake. I, too, had foreseen this path. Yet I had not worried overmuch, returning instead to Yan to focus on my own affairs. Half of my confidence came from the belief that Lord Xinling would find a way to weather the storm; the other half rested on the contingency that, should all else fail, she could escape Wei through the Mubi Trading Company and seek asylum in Yan.
But Lord Xinling did not seize power from the King of Wei as I had from my father. She simply watched as her own position was steadily eroded, showing no sign of leaving the state. When I contacted Zhang Yi, the Mubi Trading Company's branch head in Wei, his reply was always the same: Lord Xinling had made no contact with the company at all.
Perhaps she had chosen seclusion, hoping the king's interest would fade? That was not the case either. On the contrary, Lord Xinling was said to be hosting banquets every single day. Her original retainers were joined by a constant stream of visitors. True to her principle of neither turning away those who came nor detaining those who left, she personally received everyone who sought her out.
The problem was that while such conduct preserved her reputation, it only heightened the king's vigilance and steadily undermined her own health. Dealing with people was labor enough; banquets without wine were unthinkable. Though the alcohol of this era was weaker than modern spirits—little more than beer—daily consumption could hardly be good for one's health.
What on earth is she thinking? Is she waiting for Zhao to launch a deliberate attack on Wei? After all, only Lord Xinling could stop Lian Po.
But that would never happen. Zhao was already openly supporting her; handing her military authority would be, from the King of Wei's perspective, like entrusting a fish to a cat. To any outside observer, Lord Xinling's actions looked like nothing more than someone who believed her life was already over, burning what remained in hedonistic indulgence—just as Lord Pingyuan had done after forming the coalition during the siege of Handan, declaring his part finished and retreating into endless banquets.
This is no time for that. Frequent drinking erodes the body, and the king's pressure gnaws at the nerves. Living like that for a year…
I knew the feeling all too well. The soul-crushing torment of living each day under the threat of death.
The mind wears away, the senses go numb. It would almost be a mercy if one could lose oneself completely in drink.
Why had Lu Xun, one of the Three Kingdoms' greatest generals, died? After crushing the veteran Liu Bei and displaying unparalleled civil and military talent, he was not slain by the enemy but executed by his own lord, Sun Quan. Given the magnanimity and composure Lu Xun had always shown, his end felt unbearably hollow.
Regret washed over me. I should not have trusted Lord Xinling blindly and focused only on my own affairs; I should have paid closer attention to Wei long ago.
I must go there myself.
Even if I left Yan now, the state would run smoothly without me. Over the past year I had perfected its systems—internal administration, diplomacy, and the military. Iron tools were being introduced under special management, bringing an agricultural revolution in their wake. In every field, my people held key positions. Yan's political struggles had always been little more than theater; both the military and the court were already firmly in my grasp. The King of Yan still seemed unaware, but the tide had turned long ago. Had he empowered the Director of the Imperial Secretariat Zhang Ju instead of rejecting him out of personal grudge, he might have combined royal authority with real administrative power to resist. As it stood, the fight had ended before it began.
Just as I resolved to depart for Wei, an event occurred that left me uncertain whether to rejoice or grieve.
"The King of Zhao has passed away."
It was the death of a king who had endured countless crises, preserved his state's sovereignty through turmoil, and held the throne for twenty turbulent years.
§
The King of Zhao's death brought a temporary halt to the conflict between Zhao and Wei, but once the funeral rites concluded, Lian Po would undoubtedly resume his attacks without regard for any mourning period. He made no effort to conceal his intentions. While the king's death threw the state into confusion and forced a pause in the war, he had already ordered preparations so that once the crown prince ascended and the realm stabilized, the army could march at once.
Lian Po had always been known for his fiery temperament, and even at sixty his passion and fighting spirit remained undiminished. While Zhao itself whispered about his unceasing belligerence, in Wei he had become the talk of the town. The same was true in Lord Xinling's residence.
It was the tail end of yet another banquet. As the drunken guests staggered back to their lodgings, Dangjeo, standing beside a flushed Lord Xinling who had accepted every offered cup without refusal, brought up the matter of Lian Po.
"He truly is a man who knows no restraint. Just as they say—only King Huiwen and Lin Xiangru could ever control him."
"What does Master Dangjeo make of Lord Xinping's actions?"
Though her face was red with drink, Lord Xinling's voice remained steady, only slightly softened by the alcohol.
"From the perspective of the realm, it is foolish. The hard-won alliance of the Three Jins now teeters on the brink. It seems he simply cannot resist the call of war…"
Lord Xinling shook her head at Dangjeo's clicking tongue.
"Lian Po is a man of deep sentiment. He must have turned his spear toward Wei out of pure concern for me—hoping to restore me to the post of General-in-Chief."
While in Zhao, Lord Xinling had formed a bond with Lian Po. Though he was a difficult man, she had quickly earned his trust, as was her way with even the most stubborn souls.
"Do you remember, Dangjeo? When Lian Po was dismissed from command after the Battle of Changping, his retainers abandoned him. Yet when he returned victorious from the war against Yan and became Lord Xinping once more, they flocked back."
"I remember. Your Lordship scolded them harshly and told them to be gone."
"From Lian Po's point of view, he had treated them well, yet they offered him no true loyalty. He felt betrayed. He understands that now, which is why he sharpens his edges. But to those willing to embrace him despite the sting of his thorns, he would gladly give his life."
"A bond where one would not regret losing one's head—a friendship sealed in blood, the wenjingzhijiao."
When Lian Po, resentful that Lin Xiangru had risen above him without military merit, vowed to humiliate him, Lin Xiangru avoided confrontation. Lian Po mocked him for it, but when his own retainers grew indignant, Lin Xiangru gently explained his reason: "What Qin fears is neither Lin Xiangru's Zhao nor Lian Po's Zhao. What Qin fears is a Zhao that has both Lin Xiangru and Lian Po. If the two of us fight and one is eliminated, it only benefits Qin. That is why I avoid Lord Lian."
Upon hearing those words, Lian Po was overcome with shame. He stripped to the waist, carried a rod on his back, and sought Lin Xiangru's forgiveness. Lin Xiangru gladly draped his own robe over him. From that day, Lian Po declared he would gladly lose his head for his friend, and the world came to call their bond the wenjingzhijiao.
"Still, there must have been some hidden scheme behind Lian Po's bold move. He is not the Director of the Imperial Secretariat but the Right Chancellor. If the Left Chancellor, Lord Geonshin, had opposed him, he could never have acted so openly."
"Do you believe Lord Geonshin deliberately left Lord Xinping unchecked?"
"Lord Geonshin is pro-Qin."
Lord Xinling's eyes gleamed with a chilling light, so sharp that it was hard to believe she was drunk. At her confident declaration, Dangjeo's face hardened.
"Lord Geonshin is pro-Qin… Then you mean Lord Xinping has been dancing in Qin's palm?"
"Lord Xinping's military talent surpasses mine, but he is unfortunately blind to politics. He is a man of burning blood—ghostly calm on the battlefield, yet savage the moment he enters the political arena."
Lord Xinling smiled faintly at the thought of him. Her gaze, which had sunk deep, returned to normal as she thought of Seolgong and Mogong. The reports they sent from across the states contained many shocking truths, one of which was the evidence that Lord Geonshin had turned pro-Qin.
"Qin's shadow over the world is vast and deep. Perhaps the fate of the states was already sealed long ago."
The Left Chancellor of Zhao, Lord Geonshin; the Director of the Imperial Secretariat of Qi, Hu Sheng; General Teng of Han; Yulbok, the former Director of the Imperial Secretariat of Yan who had once sparked the Yan-Zhao war though now fallen from power; Zilan, who had brought down Qu Yuan for advocating alliance with Qi against Qin while serving as Prime Minister of Chu; and the pro-Qin factions and spies currently active in Wei. The roots Qin had planted in the other states ran wide and deep. When even the highest offices—the Director of the Imperial Secretariat and the Prime Minister—were sometimes held by Qin's agents, it was no exaggeration to say Qin already dominated the realm.
The more she learned of these hidden truths, the more Lord Xinling was struck by Qin's insidious cunning. Her earlier words to Ji Dan now rang hollow.
Qin is a far more terrifying enemy than you could ever imagine, Gongja.
Yet the same could be said of her. Even now, Lord Xinling could not be certain how far Qin's shadow truly stretched.
"But I cannot stop."
What kept Lord Xinling from giving up was the single ray of hope she had found shining even in that deep darkness. She resolved to do what only she could do.
Was Ji Dan worrying about her even now? Or was he disappointed, seeing her as a fool who had given up and drowned herself in banquets? Rationally she knew the latter would be better, yet in her heart she wished for the former. If that were so, she would walk this path to its end with a glad heart.
I will gather up Qin's shadow.
So please—shine your light upon the states in my stead.