The Price of Protection
The day I returned with Zheng. The moment we arrived at the estate, she collapsed into sleep as if she had fainted. The fatigue and shock from everything she had endured today were no small matter. Still, it was a relief. Even on the way here, she had remained tense, her guard raised at every moment. Like a cat with its tail held high, she had watched her surroundings warily. The fact that she fell asleep the instant we reached the estate felt as though she had accepted this place as safe, and that eased my mind.
A peaceful heart allows the body’s exhaustion to fade. In an uncomfortable place, no amount of sleep will ever truly refresh you. Having suffered far less fatigue than the others, I took a short nap and woke. After giving my room to Zheng, I slept in the adjacent chamber. Once I confirmed she was sleeping soundly, I stepped outside.
“The weather is disgustingly nice.”
The summer sky was an endless, pristine blue. It was so bright and clear that yesterday’s commotion felt like nothing more than a midsummer dream. But of course, that could not be true. I had just seen Zheng sleeping moments ago.
Staring blankly at the sky and escaping reality might have been an appealing choice, yet I had no right to indulge in it.
“I’ve caused quite the spectacle… I’ll have to clean it up somehow.”
Honestly, yesterday I had acted on emotion more than once. I had tried to stay calm, but I had not been perfect.
“It should be about time.”
Yesterday my condition had been too poor to address it, but this was not something that could be left unspoken. Han Jing, who had been waiting desperately for me to wake, appeared almost the instant I thought of him.
“Young Master! What in the world is going on here?!”
“Han Jing, even so, isn’t it a bit much to skip the greeting?”
“A bit much? Young Master, the one being unreasonable right now is you!”
It was the first time I had seen genuine anger from him. Even when he grew upset, Han Jing had always swallowed his temper and followed my lead. This time was different. When I tried to brush it off lightly, he shouted with firm resolve that he would not accept it.
“What on earth were you thinking?! Do you even know what the situation outside is like right now?”
Along with the thought that the moment had finally come, I felt a strange certainty about the unnaturally swift flow of events. This incident was not a spontaneous disturbance—it was a meticulously orchestrated scheme by someone.
“I don’t. So explain it calmly.”
“Lord Pingyuan has been summoned by the King of Zhao. Teacher Chu sent word that he can no longer provide support.”
Han Jing spoke so rapidly, driven by agitation, that he could barely catch his breath, as though squeezing the words from his lungs.
“The provisions that were supposed to arrive today never came. All other forms of support will be cut off in sequence. Naturally, this estate will be reclaimed as well! We won’t even be able to return to the fief Zhao granted us. At this rate, we’ll be thrown out onto the streets!”
Han Jing fumed, pounding his own chest in frustration. Unable to bring himself to curse me directly, he groaned and redirected his anger elsewhere.
“This is all because of that Qin brat you brought back!”
“Lower your voice, Han Jing. We’re not alone.”
Zheng might hear us. It was fortunate she was asleep; if she woke to such loud voices, it would be disastrous. I grabbed Han Jing’s arm and pulled him along. Realizing he had grown too agitated, he fell silent and followed where I led. We moved to a secluded corner of the grounds so no one else would overhear, and there I listened to the full story.
When I had openly protected Zheng and taken her away, the commoners had immediately reported it to Zhao officials. Lord Changxin had stepped in. The hatred the people of Zhao had once directed at Zheng now naturally flowed toward me as well. As a result, when Lord Pingyuan was summoned by the king, every form of support I had been receiving was cut off.
Han Jing had not mentioned Zheng without reason.
“I expected as much.”
“Young Master! If you knew, then why—!”
“Then what do you think I should have done, Han Jing?”
“That is…”
Having regained some composure through our conversation, Han Jing could only open and close his mouth, unable to voice the answer. He was a good man. If he were not, he would never have served me so devotedly when I was hardly an ideal superior. Of course, part of his loyalty stemmed from my status as the king’s sole heir. Still, living together naturally revealed a person’s true character. That did not mean Han Jing was some selfless saint willing to sacrifice everything. If he were, he would not be hesitating now.
I asked him in return.
“Should I have abandoned that child?”
“……That would have been the correct decision.”
“Correct does not always mean right.”
A girl who had been abused. An innocent child cast aside by even her own parents. If I had turned away from her, I could have lived in comfort without ever worrying about surviving as a hostage. By simple calculation of gain and loss, Han Jing was right—I should have ignored Zheng. But that would not have been right.
“She bears no sin. One cannot place the sins of the parents upon the child. Moreover, neither the Battle of Changping nor the siege of Handan was her father’s doing.”
“But she is a princess of Qin.”
“I know. I know that well.”
I understood that taking her in was no different from tightening the noose already around my own neck. Even so, I had saved Zheng. I had chosen to shelter the girl everyone else had abandoned. It was a simple instinct and sense of responsibility, free of any calculation.
“I have no regrets. If I returned to that moment, I would do the same thing again.”
I truly believed it. Though my body was that of a small boy barely different in size from the girl, my mind was that of an adult. Unlike those blinded by vengeance and hatred born of war, I was perhaps the only person in this era capable of viewing it objectively. Therefore, at the very least, I had to fulfill the duties of an adult.
“Then what about us? What are we supposed to do—those of us who have placed all our hopes in you?”
And then—
“I already have a plan in mind, so don’t worry too much.”
“Oh… As expected of you, Young Master! You had everything prepared!”
When I stated without a trace of anxiety that I had a countermeasure, Han Jing’s eyes widened and he cried out.
“B-but are you truly all right? Even Lord Pingyuan won’t be able to help us anymore…”
“I’m certain. When have you ever seen me speak empty words? My people are my responsibility to protect.”
This was the truth. Even if I ended up sleeping on the streets as a vagrant, I had already made arrangements so that my retainers would not suffer because of me. Just as I had taken precautions to ensure Lord Pingyuan would not be dragged into any trouble I caused, I had also secured permission for my household to seek refuge in his fief if the worst occurred. Zhao would have little interest in anyone but me anyway.
“I-I believed in you, of course! Naturally. It’s not as if I’ve only known you for a day or two. Your brilliance—”
“Enough. We still have some food left, don’t we? Don’t skimp—have them cook up some porridge to feed everyone. Also, we may have to go hungry for a few days, so keep that in mind.”
“Pardon? Go hungry?”
“We need to see what punishment the Zhao court hands down before we act. It might come today, or it might take longer. It’s easier to prepare ourselves for a few days of hardship.”
Han Jing looked bewildered by my oddly contradictory words—claiming to have a plan yet suggesting we simply wait for the outcome. I patted his shoulder to reassure him.
“It will work out.”
Yes. It had to.
“By the way, where’s Jing Ke?”
The real problem was Jing Ke. The retainers could be taken in by Lord Pingyuan, but Jing Ke was an outsider to that arrangement. Unlike the household members who had been caught up in their superior’s actions, he was a direct participant who had acted alongside me and had wounded Zhao citizens with his blade. Though our relationship with Mao Sui was that of a loose master and disciple, such a connection offered no protection in this matter.
“As for Jing Ke, well…”
“Don’t tell me—”
“Yes. He was taken in as a witness. We managed to stop them from taking you, but Jing Ke’s crime is clear and undeniable.”
Of course it was. Knowing that, I had still ordered him to rescue Zheng. Even if it meant execution, Jing Ke had willingly thrown himself into danger—just as he had once offered his life to assassinate the First Emperor of Qin in my memories.
“This isn’t the time for this. I have to go.”
“…I’ll come with you.”
“No. You stay here, Han Jing. If I’m gone, you’re the only one who can take my place. Once Zheng wakes, give her the porridge as I said. Shi and Xiu already worked hard yesterday, so I’ll take On with me.”
As I spoke, something strange caught my eye. The door across the way seemed to have moved. I paused and watched, but the door remained still.
Just my imagination, I suppose.
I had no time to dwell on such trivial matters. I needed to move quickly. Before this scorching summer sun brought us to our knees, I had to find the shade that would shelter us.