An Irrevocable Decision
The atmosphere enveloping Handan felt unusually heavy today. Though there was no fog, my chest felt tight. It was not merely a trick of the mood; the faces of the people moving through the city also carried gloomier expressions than usual. As I walked the subdued streets, I listened to the hushed conversations of small clusters of people. My hearing, sharpened since my days in the Yan royal palace by the constant need to catch every sound around me, had grown keen enough to pick up voices clearly even from a distance.
"In the end, Zhou has fallen…."
"They say Wei was defeated too."
"It was that same man again. The general named Qiu who crushed our Zhao army last time."
"Again? Damn them. The Qin never lose once they start fighting."
"Still, last time Lord Pingyuan led the coalition forces himself and you commanded the death squad at the front, and we won, didn't we? If Lord Pingyuan returns, even that Qin general Qiu can surely be stopped."
It was an age without telephones. Rumors might travel fast, but if news of events from such a faraway place had already reached the citizens of Handan, it meant the events themselves were already well in the past. So around the end of last year, General Qiu of Qin must have destroyed Zhou and forced Wei to submit. By now it was safe to assume he had seized far more territory. The advance was terrifying.
After seeming to stall against Lord Pingyuan and the coalition army here in Handan, Qin had already wiped out Zhou and won the submission of both Wei and Han—two of the Seven Warring States.
It makes sense. The era of Qin Shi Huang, who would soon accomplish the great task of unifying the world, was approaching. They could not topple entire kingdoms overnight, so this had to be the groundwork.
Even the legendary conqueror Alexander, who had subdued the Western world, owed his feats to the foundation laid by his father, Philip II. Qin Shi Huang too had stood on the shoulders of giants—his predecessors—before he could look down upon the realm.
The present King of Qin is old, so the current crown prince is probably the one who will become Qin Shi Huang. Or perhaps it is one generation further down.
The one who might one day become my mortal enemy. Turning over the existence of a rival whose face I did not even know, I quickened my steps. I had lingered too long eavesdropping on the talk around me. I would meet Qin Shi Huang eventually, but not yet. It was foolish to lose focus on the immediate because of something still far in the future. I pushed my concerns about Qin to the back of my mind and arrived at the eastern gate of the city.
The area around the gate was more disorderly than usual. The eastern gate normally saw lighter traffic and rarely became congested. A crowd here meant something unusual was happening. Since I had to pass through anyway, I moved forward with Seok and Hyu’s help.
"That’s…."
While Handan’s guards held back the throng, a party was crossing the gate. At its center rode a single carriage. Men carrying banners flanked it, and on those banners was written the character for Wei.
"It appears to be an envoy from Wei," Seok said. I gave a quiet nod.
The fierce Qin offensive I had just heard the citizens discussing—although Wei had been defeated and forced to bow its head, it had not lost its sovereignty. In this era without any concept of colonies, there was no vague middle ground in which a state lost its independence yet kept its nominal existence. In such cases they would simply annihilate it outright. Once the tacit Spring and Autumn understanding to at least preserve a state’s dignity had collapsed and the Warring States era began, such paltry mercy became a cheap joke.
Having momentarily bowed before Qin’s might, Wei—unlike Zhou—was still one of the great powers counted among the Seven Warring States. An unvanquished Wei would surely seek to deepen its cooperation with Zhao in order to repay today’s humiliation. The envoy now passing before us was here for exactly that purpose.
Only after the entire Wei delegation had gone through did the gate resume allowing ordinary travelers to pass.
"Let’s go through."
I had no intention of flaunting my status, so I joined the line and waited as the guards directed. Since this was only movement from one part of the city to another, the inspection was brief. The line shortened quickly. As we drew near the gate, words drifted from behind that I could not possibly ignore.
"They’re really going to use that bitch…?"
"That’s right. We have to repay what the Qin dogs did to us."
"But is this truly acceptable? No matter who stands behind us…."
"Have you forgotten? His Majesty himself gave the order to kill that pathetic hostage brat."
"Then… the one backing this is…?"
"Obviously. The vanguard has already left. This time we will use those bitches as sacrifices to show Qin the full extent of Zhao’s fury. Then Wei will be forced to act more aggressively."
A group muttering among themselves. Their voices were low, yet my sensitive hearing caught every word. Even though they spoke indirectly—calling her “that bitch” and referring to “the one behind her”—I knew exactly whom they meant. I could not fail to know. The person they intended to offer as a sacrifice was none other than the one I had come to meet.
Zheng is in danger.
My mouth went dry. Anxiety and dread surged over me. My hands and feet twitched uncontrollably; my legs trembled as though they might bolt forward on their own. But I could not allow that. In urgent situations, emotional action ruins even what could have been saved. Just as the proverb says that even in a tiger’s den, a clear mind offers a path to survival, only cold judgment could pierce through this crisis.
Besides, no matter how recklessly I behaved right now, I would not even be allowed past this gate. While the remaining time before I crossed it was given to me, I steadied my breathing and began arranging the facts inside my head.
First, their targets are Zheng and Zheng’s mother. They said “those bitches,” so two people. And the vanguard has already departed.
If someone had already gone ahead, hurrying now would be pointless. Yet I had one thing I could rely on.
By now Zheng should have come out for our appointment.
She would not be at the residence when they arrived. There was a chance she had been discovered on the way, but I refused to consider that. If that had already happened, there would be nothing I could do.
If Zheng is waiting, we join quietly and leave as if she were part of my party.
The problem would come afterward. As they themselves had admitted, an unidentified backer stood behind this affair. Without such protection they would never have dared to move so openly against Zheng, no matter how deep their hatred of Qin ran.
I could not ask for Lord Pingyuan’s help. This had to be resolved by my own power alone. After long thought I hit upon a temporary measure.
That’s it. We’ll hide for a while in the place Jing Ke once used as a residence. They said they chose the moment the Wei envoy arrived, intending to use it as a catalyst for an alliance between Zhao and Wei. So if we can hold out until the envoy departs, somehow….
"Next!"
Having roughly arranged a plan, I behaved as though nothing were amiss. I made sure neither Seok nor Hyu noticed. They cared for me and had sworn loyalty, but for that very reason they would try to stop me. What they wanted was not Zheng’s safety, but mine.
Once inside the city, I had Seok and Hyu keep their usual distance, then headed toward the meeting place with Zheng. My heart pounded as though running at twice its normal speed. Tension and excitement tangled wildly, sending waves of burning heat through my body. Yet I was barely aware of the heat or the heavy thud of my pulse.
My mind remained a chaotic tangle of unresolved anguish.
Is this the right thing?
It was true that I wanted to save Zheng. It was wrong for that child to suffer because of the joint-liability law. That was unjust. It was a mistake. Yet saving her was tantamount to abandoning my responsibilities—the duty I owed to those who had followed me, a prince of Yan sent here as hostage.
Perhaps part of me had been hoping Zheng would not appear. If she were absent, I could disgustingly console myself that there had been nothing I could do and rationalize my inaction.
With the inner conflict between tormenting responsibility and simple humanity still unresolved, I reached the usual spot. And there—
"Dan! You’re late."
There stood Zheng, pouting a little yet smiling faintly with clear delight.
The moment I saw her face, a soft sigh escaped me. Ah, it seems I truly have no choice. In the end I am just another selfish person.
"Zheng."
I would waver no longer. The heart that had stood at the crossroads had chosen its path. The confusion vanished; my mind grew impossibly clear. Guilt and regret remained, but hesitation did not.
"It’s dangerous here. Come with me."