Handan Wanderings
In Lord Pingyuan’s residence, someone approached me and spoke. “You wear a face heavy with worry.”
I looked up, startled. It was none other than Feng Ji. Even if it had been Chui Yan—the man I spoke with most often—I would not have expected Feng Ji to read my expression at a single glance. I had not been lost so deeply in thought that I ignored greetings or wore a scowl; yet here he was.
It was insight worthy of his reputation as one of the Five Wandering Knights. No wonder he had held the undisputed top rank among the retainers until Mao Sui fully entered Lord Pingyuan’s inner circle and became the pearl in his palm.
Hiding my surprise as best I could, I answered calmly. “Does it show?”
“May I sit?”
“Please.”
When I gestured to the seat before me, Feng Ji settled down with easy grace. Tension coiled in my stomach. Feng Ji was known as Lord Pingyuan’s voice. Among all the lord’s retainers, he was nearly the only one who maintained direct ties to the King of Zhao; rumor said he had even given the king private instruction on several occasions.
If he had noticed my worries—my worries concerning Jeong—then…
The moment I swallowed, Feng Ji’s eyes sharpened like blades. “Young master.”
“Yes, Sir Feng Ji.”
“Do not trouble yourself too much over the matter with Yan.”
“…Pardon?”
Wait. Why was Yan coming up here?
I had braced myself for a warning about Jeong, a reminder to watch my conduct. Instead, the sudden mention of Yan sliced straight through my tension and left it in tatters.
“Haha. Seeing you now, you really do look your age.”
“Ah, hahaha… Do I?”
“I speak sincerely. Lord Pingyuan sent me himself, so you may trust every word.”
I still had no idea what he was driving at, but it seemed my meeting with Jeong had not been discovered. Ever since I came under Lord Pingyuan’s protection, my security had been transferred to him; the spies sent by the King of Zhao or Lord Jianxin had vanished. Lord Pingyuan granted me considerable freedom. Unless I requested escorts, he attached no one to me.
While I exhaled in secret relief, Feng Ji continued.
“Lesser retainers who lack vision dismiss your fondness for travel as a child’s pleasure jaunt and speak ill of it. I, however, know you do it to gather information. This latest affair is not widely known, yet you already understand and worry over it. Truly, you are someone worthy of Lord Pingyuan’s attention.”
“You flatter me.”
Sorry. Those retainers were right. I really did just want to have fun.
Feng Ji’s loyalty and respect for Lord Pingyuan ran so deep that he seemed to view me through the same indulgent lens the lord used. Though for all that, Lord Pingyuan himself is hardly perfect—he did help bring about the Battle of Changping.
In any case, the Yan matter Feng Ji spoke of was no great affair. I knew that if Yan and Zhao came to blows, the twin pillars of Lian Po and Li Mu would grind Yan to dust. But those ignorant of the vast gap in talent saw only the numbers and imagined Yan held the upper hand for now.
The problem was that the King of Zhao numbered among the deluded.
That did not mean he groveled before Yan. Had he been that spineless, he would never have tried his tricks on me in the first place. Still, if Yan grew truly serious and issued naked threats, the king had no choice but to yield on certain points.
Thus, when Yan pressed for the expulsion of Lord Yuling—the king’s anti-Yan brother—the king resolved to comply. Feng Ji had stepped forward then. He visited the king, declared that banishing Lord Yuling would be foolish, and persuaded him to reject Yan’s demand.
The incident carried deep symbolic weight. Lord Pingyuan, who had kept his head low, had just proven through his retainer that his influence in the political world remained undiminished.
“So Lord Pingyuan is preparing his full return.”
“Ho. You know Lord Pingyuan stands behind you, yet you remain this composed. Truly the young master he chose.”
Even if Lord Pingyuan openly opposed Yan, I would hardly tremble. His investment in me was never about short-term friendship with Yan; it was a long game for the next generation. There was no reason to rejoice or grieve over such a trivial matter. Moreover, he had sent Feng Ji in person to set my mind at ease. There was not the slightest doubt about his true intentions.
“I haven’t seen the other wandering knights lately. Everyone must be moving busily?”
“Indeed. As you know, Gongsun Long and Chui Yan are traveling across Zhao. As for Mao Sui… well, you know already.”
I did. All too well. That thug was doubling as Lord Pingyuan’s bodyguard. Hadn’t he declared me too weak to become anyone important and forced me through brutal training? Of course I understood the value of exercise, but Mao Sui’s methods were… extreme. The experience reminded me of boot camp in my previous life.
“I have delivered every message. I shall take my leave.”
“Ah, then Lord Pingyuan will not be coming today?”
“Mm, I cannot say. Even if he does, it will likely be quite late.”
Then I should return as well. With Lord Pingyuan absent there was no point lingering here. I was not an official retainer, after all.
Though I had not met him in person, the harvest was rich. The value of good information needed no explanation.
Lord Pingyuan versus Lord Jianxin. The power struggle between the former and current chancellor would soon erupt in earnest—a clash of old and new. The contest between the previous king’s younger brother and the current king’s favored lord would not end easily.
Objectively and subjectively, Lord Pingyuan’s side was stronger. At its apex stood a royal family member, supported by the formidable lineup of Mao Sui, Feng Ji, Gongsun Long, and Chui Yan. Yet Lord Jianxin’s forces were far from negligible. While Lord Pingyuan had once commanded three thousand retainers in his prime, the current reduced household and Lord Jianxin’s retinue were now roughly equal in size.
One might argue the numbers were the same but the quality different—yet Lord Jianxin’s retainers were themselves impressive. If Lord Pingyuan has the Five Wandering Knights, Lord Jianxin has the Three Talented Scholars.
That saying could be heard on any street corner.
Wei Kai, Xi Xie, Ku Chengchang.
Lord Jianxin’s personal ability fell far short of Lord Pingyuan’s, yet he had been able to assume the latter’s former position precisely because these three supported him from the shadows. Nor did royal blood grant an absolute advantage. In some ways it might even be a liability.
To the King of Zhao, Lord Jianxin was little more than an obedient pet. Lacking legitimacy, he could never defy the king. Lord Pingyuan, however, was the king’s own uncle. History offered many examples of uncles seizing their nephews’ thrones—King Sejo of Joseon, Emperor Yongle of Ming.
To the King of Zhao, Lord Pingyuan must feel burdensome.
Therefore the king will likely refrain from active intervention. Openly backing Lord Jianxin is difficult given Lord Pingyuan’s stature, yet backing Lord Pingyuan feels too dangerous.
In that sense, the Battle of Changping had ironically benefited Lord Pingyuan. Without it, his prestige would have been even greater, and the probability of the king purging him would have been extremely high.
Though I had spoken at length, no one could predict how the secret feud would unfold. If the king judged even the slightest disorder dangerous and intervened, the matter might end quickly. A third party could still appear. Yet one truth was certain.
While those two forces collided, the world’s eyes would turn toward them, and attention on me would fade.
For the time being, meeting Jeong should not cause major problems.
As for Lord Pingyuan’s affairs, my involvement would change little. Far more capable people already surrounded him. Therefore I could comfortably go buy Jeong a gift.
The next day, instead of visiting Lord Pingyuan’s residence I headed for the market.
“What would be good…”
Wandering through the stalls of Handan’s marketplace, I examined each item with care. Jewelry was the most common gift—hairpins, bracelets, rings. Yet anything so easily noticed might be discovered and confiscated at once.
Clothes, then?
If she wore the gifted clothes beneath old rags as before, they might stay hidden. The thought lasted only a moment before being refuted: inside the house she could not wear such rags. In that case, small jewelry would be easier to conceal.
With Shi and Xiu—now glued to my side, declaring they would never leave me again—I moved deeper into the market. Suddenly—
BANG!
Crash!
“Cut the crap! What kind of pheasant moves like that?!”
A fight had broken out.