A New Routine
“To put it another way, one of the remaining retainers of Lord Pingyuan is a man named Mao Sui.”
“Mao Sui?”
“A awl in a bag will always poke through the fabric. Mao Sui recommended himself. Have you heard of these sayings?”
Ah, I recognized those old idioms. Nangjungjichu meant that a truly capable person could not remain hidden forever, like an awl inside a pouch that inevitably protrudes. And Mosuijacheon referred to the story of how Mao Sui had volunteered himself and thereby accomplished great merit. I didn’t know the exact details of who this Mao Sui truly was, though.
“So Mao Sui was one of Lord Pingyuan’s retainers?”
“Correct. It seems you’ve heard of him in passing. By successfully drawing support from the state of Chu, Mao Sui rose to become the foremost among the Five Retainers.”
“There’s a hierarchy even among the Five Retainers?”
“It’s not official, but there is an unspoken ranking based on Lord Pingyuan’s trust in each of them.”
Looking slightly embarrassed, Zou Yan admitted that he ranked fourth. Being fourth among a thousand retainers was impressive enough, but what surprised me more was that three people stood above even Zou Yan, who had once been the tutor to King Xiaowen of Qin. Perhaps it was because he had joined the household relatively late and thus had fewer chances to demonstrate his abilities.
“If Lord Mao Sui is first, then Lord Feng Qi must be second?”
“Exactly. If Mao Sui is called Lord Pingyuan’s right hand, then Feng Qi is known as his voice.”
“Then who is third?”
“The third is…”
Just as Zou Yan was about to explain, someone approached and interrupted our conversation.
“Greetings, young lord. And to you as well, Lord Zou.”
“You are…?”
The middle-aged man, who appeared to be around the same age as Zou Yan, offered a graceful bow in accordance with proper etiquette.
“I am Gongsun Long, courtesy name Zibing.”
In this era, courtesy names existed, but unlike later periods where the rules for addressing someone by given name or courtesy name were clearly defined, the two were still used rather interchangeably. Unlike the future, where using a courtesy name showed caution and respect, here it still carried the feeling of a casual nickname exchanged between close acquaintances.
I returned the greeting and introduced myself.
“I am Ji Dan, Crown Prince of Yan.”
“Ji Dan… The name means ‘crimson’ and its form suggests ‘outline.’ Despite this, people see you as a boy with rosy cheeks. But you cannot deceive this Gongsun Long.”
What on earth was he talking about? I stared at him in bewilderment, and Zou Yan clicked his tongue beside me.
“Gongsun Long is a member of the School of Names. He is also one of the Five Retainers.”
So this man was one of the Five Retainers—the third-ranked retainer. Unlike when he had spoken of Mao Sui or Feng Qi, there was no trace of a smile on Zou Yan’s face now.
They must not get along.
Gongsun Long’s gaze toward Zou Yan was equally sharp. He wasn’t quite glaring, but the wariness was unmistakable.
“You need not pay him much mind. The followers of the School of Names are the sort who seize upon the tiniest flaws in wording and delight in pointless slander.”
“What nonsense. The School of Names illuminates the world by clarifying name and reality. Where else can one find a school that pursues correctness more diligently? Young lord, it is rather the Yin-Yang School that is not worth listening to.”
“What did you say?”
“Did I speak falsely? The Yin-Yang School does not investigate truth and falsehood; instead, they merely project judgments onto attributes found in nature. Are they not a group incapable of independent thought?”
“Hah! This fellow truly wishes to settle matters with me once and for all!”
“Hmph! If you think I will back down because you speak so fiercely, you are sorely mistaken!”
Good heavens. Why were these two respectable elders, old enough to be my grandparents, behaving like this? It was no different from children bickering. I looked at Zou Yan with slightly dazed eyes. The man who had moments ago radiated the aura of a sage who had pierced through the principles of the world had somehow transformed into an ordinary old man quarreling with a fellow resident at a retirement home.
Still, it makes him feel more human. That’s rather nice.
By now, other retainers were beginning to appear around us, drawing curious glances. Deciding it was time to intervene, I slipped my small frame between the two old men who were currently engaged in a battle of scholarly pride between the School of Names and the Yin-Yang School.
“Enough, enough. What is this commotion between two men whom Lord Pingyuan holds in such high regard?”
My words seemed to calm them somewhat. The two stopped arguing, breathing heavily as they lowered their heads.
“Consider yourself lucky. If not for the young lord’s presence, today would have been the day you vanished from this place.”
“Hmph. Typical of a fortune-teller—only your tongue is sharp.”
“What? You word-monger! Very well! I shall make today the winter solstice of your entire life!”
Just when I thought they had stopped, the two elders began shouting at each other again. Wasn’t this exactly what people meant by incompatible personalities? I slowly extricated myself from between the two men who continued their dispute even with me standing there and quietly retreated.
It wasn’t that I had completely abandoned them—I had done what I could. At this point, it was out of my hands. Let them handle it themselves. After all, wasn’t this precisely the sort of thing that debaters of this era did? They would argue moderately to make their names known, then use that accumulated fame to debate even more renowned figures and thereby increase their own value. Eventually they would either obtain official posts or find a patron and become retainers. That was the standard career path for intellectuals of this time. There were no separate examinations like in later eras or the civil service tests, and without bloodline or connections, one had no choice but to make one’s name known in such a manner. I supposed they were simply doing their best at their chosen profession. Probably.
And above all else—
It’s entertaining. This war of words.
Of course, my arm bent inward, so I was naturally rooting for Zou Yan, but I was also greatly looking forward to what Gongsun Long would bring. This was a debate between giants worthy of being called the Five Retainers. Simply listening from the side would surely teach me more than Han Jing’s lessons.
However, the two of them never got the chance to engage in an unlimited debate to the end.
“That’s enough from both of you today.”
A newly arrived figure had familiarly put a stop to their argument.
“Mao Sui, no matter how much it is you, I cannot simply let this pass today.”
“Nor can I.”
So this was Mao Sui… He was more rugged than I had imagined. Rather than a scholar, his appearance resembled that of a wandering knight from the streets. Zou Yan, Gongsun Long, and now the first-ranked Mao Sui. It would have been perfect if I had some popcorn. Come to think of it, wasn’t corn still unknown in this period? It came from the American continent, after all. What a shame. Truly a pity.
I had been eagerly anticipating a three-way battle now that Mao Sui had joined, but unfortunately the situation did not unfold as I had hoped.
“Then what about me?”
“Lord Pingyuan!”
No matter how strong their pride, even these two geniuses could not defy their employer. Lord Pingyuan neatly calmed the chaotic atmosphere and even offered a conciliatory measure to soothe their grievances.
“I shall arrange an opportunity for the two of you to clearly compare your scholarly merits before long. But for today, I ask that you all listen to what I have to say. I have just come from meeting His Majesty and the Chancellor.”
It seemed a matter of state affairs was about to be discussed. I was thinking it would be best to slip away discreetly when Lord Pingyuan singled me out.
“You should stay as well, young lord. Today’s matter is not unrelated to you.”
“…Understood. I shall do so.”
Looked like overtime tonight. I should send someone to let Han Jing know I would be returning home late. Not that I had ever actually experienced overtime before, of course.
§
Humans are creatures of adaptation. I realized this truth once again after only a month.
At first, when I had been treated coldly, I thought that as long as food, clothing, and shelter were provided, I could ask for nothing more. Yet once I began enjoying an abundant life, I grew accustomed to it and soon found myself craving new stimulation.
“This is boring.”
I no longer found much enjoyment in Han Jing’s lessons, and even visiting Lord Pingyuan to interact with his retainers had become part of my ordinary daily routine. It might have been different if Zou Yan and Gongsun Long’s verbal battles broke out, but after that initial clash, the two of them had not collided again. The reason was that both had temporarily left their positions to carry out missions assigned by Lord Pingyuan.
Recently, Lord Pingyuan had been busy preparing to return to official office. So whenever I visited, it was usually Mao Sui or Feng Qi who greeted me. Yet for some reason, I found it difficult to grow close to either of them. Or perhaps I simply wasn’t adapting well.
Feng Qi would deliver sharp, piercing criticisms the moment I showed even the slightest sign of idleness, while Mao Sui constantly complained that I was too frail and insisted that any real man must possess the martial strength to protect himself. To put it crudely, Feng Qi was like a needle that pricked with every word, and Mao Sui was a brawler who believed the fist was more effective than the law. As for Gongsun Long and Zou Yan, they were bitter rivals who would growl at each other the instant they met, each according to the nature of their respective schools. Truly, the composition of the Five Retainers was a spectacle in itself.
It was no wonder Lord Pingyuan, who could unite such disparate individuals, was called one of the Four Lords of the Warring States. I needed some new stimulus. A fresh experience to relieve this tedious daily life.
And I knew an easy way to obtain exactly that.
“A journey.”
For nearly a month, my daily schedule had revolved like a hamster wheel: waking, breakfast, morning lessons, lunch, afternoon business, dinner, returning home. That was it. Naturally, my range of activity had been limited to my own residence and Lord Pingyuan’s mansion.
But now that I had fully adapted to this lifestyle, the time to move on to the next stage could not be better.
“I should do it, shouldn’t I? A tour of Handan.”
The moment had finally come to become a tourist!