The Highest Form of Revenge
After the assassination of Lord Jianxin in Handan, a storm of blood swept through the city. Merely killing a talent the king held dear was already a capital offense worthy of death by a thousand cuts, but Han Xiang’s crimes ran far darker. By framing Lord Jianxin as the culprit and attempting to drive a wedge between Lord Pingyuan and King Zhao, he had sought to rip the entire state of Zhao apart for nothing more than his own personal advancement. With the added charge of deceiving the sovereign, not only Han Xiang but his entire clan was obliterated. In the face of King Zhao’s wrath—which saw Han Xiang’s three generations exterminated and the man himself literally pickled into salted fish—the people of Handan spent days trembling, terrified they might be swept up in the purge.
Yet King Zhao’s fury struck only those directly connected to Han Xiang. The enemy general was dead, but many voices still remained at the king’s side capable of restraining him. Lord Jianxin’s potential rampage had been the greatest concern, given how close he had come to ruin, yet the man remained strangely quiet. Perhaps because he knew he owed his survival to Lord Pingyuan, he took a deliberate step back, watching events unfold without interference.
With the king’s explicit support and Lord Jianxin’s tacit cooperation, Lord Pingyuan moved with astonishing speed. He kept collective punishment to an absolute minimum while providing aid so innocent citizens could return to their livelihoods without fear. At the same time, coordination with Wei progressed without a hitch—thanks, in the shadows, to the assistance of Lord Xinling. Since Lord Xinling was himself a traitor in Wei who had slain a general to seize military authority, direct collaboration was impossible; instead, he offered discreet help from behind the scenes.
Once the former chancellor Lord Pingyuan took firm command, bolstered by exceptional administrators and retainers, Handan’s stability returned almost overnight. Though many criticized Lord Pingyuan’s judgment as occasionally lacking, his administrative prowess proved why he deserved to be counted among the Four Gentlemen of the Warring States.
Now is truly the time to deploy our long-term strategy and seize the market.
Business. Livelihood. I had been contemplating organizing some sort of event to fill the vacuum of public attention left by the assassination’s resolution when, once again, my plans were thwarted. An unexpected invitation arrived from a surprising figure who wished to see me.
“Lord Jianxin?”
My mind spun at the request for a single meeting. What was his intention? Had he somehow learned that I had been the one to name Han Xiang?
Whatever the case, there’s no reason to avoid him.
I accepted the invitation.
Though his innocence had been proven, the incident had cost Lord Jianxin many retainers and a great deal of influence. In contrast, Lord Pingyuan had dramatically increased his own prestige by successfully calming the chaos. The long political struggle had effectively ended in Lord Pingyuan’s victory. In such a position, it seemed unlikely Lord Jianxin could harm me.
The meeting took place not at his official residence but at a safe house. Lord Jianxin had placed himself under voluntary house arrest, claiming his conduct had been insufficient, so the encounter had to remain secret. For my part, I preferred it this way rather than any public appearance together.
When we finally faced each other, Lord Jianxin looked far more haggard than when I had first seen him upon arriving in Zhao. Yet even that gauntness complemented his refined features, lending him a certain tragic beauty. Truly a man who had won the king’s favor through appearance alone. If one wished to surpass Lord Jianxin in looks, one would probably need to bring Lord Xinling along.
Handsome was handsome, however. As another man, it stirred no particular feeling in me. Having witnessed Lord Xinling’s overwhelming beauty, my standards had perhaps grown unreasonably high.
Lord Jianxin studied my own greatly changed appearance for a long moment before speaking softly.
“It has been a long time.”
“So it has.”
He spoke down to me; I replied in the polite, slightly distant hao style. Though Lord Jianxin was of common birth, he now stood as Zhao’s chancellor and a feudal lord of the state. His position was lofty enough that my royal blood alone did not require him to show me deference.
“I heard the story from Lord Pingyuan. Thanks to your report that Han Xiang was suspicious, we were able to resolve the matter quickly.”
“It was Lord Pingyuan and Master Xun who carried the greater burden.”
“That may be so, yet your information played a decisive role.”
What Lord Jianxin did next startled me. He lowered his head, brought his hands together, and offered me a deep, respectful bow.
“First, allow me to apologize. It was I who advised His Majesty to mistreat you in order to uphold Zhao’s dignity. Yet I have now survived because of your help. I have repaid kindness with enmity. Even bowing my head to you may be insufficient repayment.”
“Lord Jianxin…”
Even in this private setting, admitting fault and lowering one’s head so completely could not have been easy. I finally understood why outstanding retainers such as the Three Talents had gathered around him. The man before me truly carried himself like an exemplary ruler.
“And I must apologize once more. Though I received your silver, I have been unable to repay you with any meaningful assistance. As long as you keep the Qin princess at your side, His Majesty will not change his heart.”
It had been King Zhao himself who ordered the death of Yi Ren, Zhao’s father. Even if Lord Jianxin withdrew his earlier stance, Zhao’s fury would not spare me while I still sheltered Zhao.
“It doesn’t matter.”
I had already been preparing various measures for self-reliance. Whether the Zhao court chose to welcome me or not would not change what I needed to do.
“Besides, I did not help you merely to clear a debt.”
“Indeed… this humble man finds himself continually impressed by your noble character.”
“Noble? Hardly. I took my revenge on you.”
“Revenge?”
Lord Jianxin lifted his head in genuine surprise.
“I have recently been studying Mencius under my literary tutor Han Jing. There is a passage that goes like this.”
When Heaven is about to entrust a man with a great mission, it first torments his heart and mind, exhausts his sinews and bones, starves his body, and plunges his life into poverty. It thwarts his every action so that it may stir his heart, strengthen his patience, and increase his ability.
Therefore, take today’s humiliation as a badge of honor. Become a greater man than the one who tormented you. Help him achieve his ambitions. That is the highest form of revenge.
“I did not bestow a favor upon you. I took my revenge. There is no need to keep it in your heart.”
“Ha… hahaha…”
Lord Jianxin let out a dazed, hollow laugh. I had deliberately framed my actions as revenge rather than kindness not only because I sought no reward, but to draw a clear line here and now. I had no desire to become deeply entangled in Zhao’s court politics. As Lord Jianxin himself had said, if the king’s heart would not change, any mention of my name would only provoke his displeasure. Far better to remain beneath notice and quietly improve the people’s livelihood step by step.
Yet Lord Jianxin did not look relieved. Instead, his face grew even heavier with guilt.
“Young master, do you realize those words themselves embody the conduct of a true gentleman as described by Mencius? I failed to recognize a gentleman and oppressed him instead. I am nothing but a petty man.”
His final words were not directed at me, but at himself—a self-reproach. As I watched silently, Lord Jianxin sighed and offered me another deep bow.
“You spoke of enmity rather than grace, yet this humble man will not forget the grace he received. Since you claim to have shown me no grace, allow me to speak a few words to myself.”
While I tilted my head at this sudden declaration, Lord Jianxin began.
“I once formed a connection with a great merchant of Han named Lü Buwei. That man took the Qin royal hostage Yi Ren from Zhao and arranged for him to be adopted by Lord Anguo’s principal wife, Lady Huayang. She renamed him Zichu, ‘Son of Chu,’ because of her own Chu origins.”
I now knew the prominent figures of the various states well enough. Lord Anguo was the second son of the current King of Qin. After the original crown prince, who had been a hostage in Wei, died, Lord Anguo had unexpectedly become heir. Lady Huayang, his principal wife, was from Chu. Hence the name change for Yi Ren.
So Zhao’s grandfather was Lord Anguo. Yet I heard Zhao’s father was born of a concubine and therefore only a collateral branch…
“Having gained Lady Huayang’s favor, Zichu is now treated as Lord Anguo’s legitimate eldest son. When the present King of Qin dies and Lord Anguo ascends the throne, it is all but certain that Zichu will become crown prince.”
As Lord Jianxin continued, my confusion deepened. Yi Ren—now called Ying Zichu. If he was to become crown prince, then that meant…
“The Ying Zheng currently in Zhao will soon become the legitimate daughter of the crown prince.”
Zhao’s position in the line of succession had just skyrocketed. Perhaps high enough that she might one day become queen.