Lian Po's Interrogation
The war between Yan and Zhao unfolded exactly as Li Mu had predicted. When the Xiongnu appeared at Ji, the King of Yan panicked and immediately ordered Yulfu and Jingzhen to make peace with Zhao and return. With the situation reversed, the war faction lost all influence while the peace faction gained the upper hand. Yulfu hastily requested a meeting with Lian Po to salvage the crisis, but Lian Po did not budge. Who would listen to Yulfu—the very man who had started this war—now pleading for an end to the fighting?
It was then that Guo Mu stepped forward. Having accompanied Yulfu on the campaign, Guo Mu volunteered to meet Lian Po and settle the matter himself. This time, Lian Po granted him an audience.
"I assume you have brought terms for a ceasefire?"
Lian Po sat in the place of honor and spoke to Guo Mu as though issuing orders. Though the slight to his pride was obvious, Guo Mu answered calmly, as if it were nothing.
"Of course."
"Let me hear them."
Guo Mu presented the most generous terms he could offer at his level—terms he was confident he could persuade the King of Yan to accept. Lian Po listened in silence before suddenly asking,
"Whose idea was this?"
"What do you mean?"
"The King and Chancellor of Yan I know would have attacked the moment they sensed Zhao's weakness. I had already prepared for that. If your forces had crossed the border, I intended to march straight to your capital at Ji. Yet someone noticed my intentions and stopped it. This does not seem like the work of the Grand Tutor. So I ask again—whose idea was it?"
Guo Mu fell silent, exercising his right to remain quiet. But Lian Po had not asked because he expected an answer.
"The hostage prince of Yan. That is who it was, is it not?"
"…Hmph."
Guo Mu tried his best to remain composed, but he could not deceive Lian Po's eyes.
"I thought as much. You were that brat's right hand as well. The terms you brought this time—were they also his doing?"
Lian Po was testing Guo Mu both to confirm whether the successor to Lord Pingyuan was truly Ji Dan and to gauge how deeply Ji Dan had extended his influence within Yan. Realizing it was pointless to deceive Lian Po any further, Guo Mu nodded obediently.
"…That is correct. These were the thoughts of the young lord currently held hostage in your country."
"For a brat, his grasp of the situation is quite sharp. So he was not merely hiding in silence within Zhao. That must be why Lord Pingyuan chose him as heir. Being inside the country, he would have seen its affairs more clearly than anyone. Yan has gained itself a remarkably clever prince."
The war had been ignited by Yulfu's silver tongue, yet it was Ji Dan who had directed its course. He had persuaded Zhao's generals to protect Yan's army and secured the cooperation of Yan's peace faction to end the conflict on his own terms.
While Lian Po assessed Ji Dan, Guo Mu asked in surprise,
"Lord Pingyuan's heir? What do you mean by that?"
"Hm? You did not know? Well, it is not something one would announce openly."
Realizing that Ji Dan had kept his inheritance of Lord Pingyuan's seal a secret even from his own people, Lian Po raised his estimation of the young man's patience. Most youths his age would have been unable to resist boasting, yet Ji Dan had not even told his own retainer.
"Then I have nothing more to say."
Lian Po cut the matter short, having no intention of revealing what Ji Dan wished to keep hidden, and Guo Mu did not press further. Their brief meeting had been enough for him to understand just how self-centered Lian Po was. There was no time to dwell on it anyway.
"There is one more condition I must add."
"…Please speak."
As Lian Po listed his additional demands, Guo Mu's expression grew increasingly grim. Had these been Lian Po's personal opinions, he might have tried to negotiate. But Lian Po declared they were the direct will of the King of Zhao, leaving no room for compromise. In the end, Guo Mu accepted every condition before the ceasefire treaty could finally be signed.
§
The war between Yan and Zhao concluded without either side suffering significant losses, and Yan quickly turned its returning army against the Xiongnu, successfully driving them out. Everything had gone according to plan. The people of Zhao now hated Yan even more, yet their animosity was nothing compared to what they felt toward Qin.
"Yulfu has been dismissed, and Lord Zhang Ju—who strongly opposed the war—has been appointed Chancellor."
The terms of the ceasefire spoke for themselves. Finding the conditions presented through Guo Mu insufficient, Zhao had added further demands: dismiss Yulfu, who had advocated for war, and appoint Zhang Ju, the leader of the opposition, as Chancellor instead. Not long ago, Zhao had been meddling in Yan's affairs, demanding the expulsion of Lord Yeling. Now the tables had completely turned.
The King of Yan accepted the conditions. With the Xiongnu at their doorstep, what did it matter if Yulfu was sacrificed? And there was more.
"I never expected a territorial exchange."
"It seems they believed the unstable border was what invited this invasion. By exchanging territory, they intend to make future defenses easier."
Yan ceded Gal, Wuyang, and Pingshi, while Zhao gave Yongtai, Fenmen, and Linluo. The messy border was now neatly redrawn, and the new line favored Zhao's defensive position.
"With this, the victor of the war has been decided."
Anyone could see that the side which had interfered in another's internal affairs and reshaped the border to its liking was the true winner. Han Jing agreed with my assessment.
"It is not an agreement that explicitly names a winner and loser, but in practical terms, Zhao has gained far more."
Zhao clearly considered the war a victory as well. Despite facing four-to-one odds against Yan's commander Yulfu, Lian Po had held the line flawlessly and bought precious time—earning him the title Lord Xinping. Yue Sheng, who had blocked Jingzhen at Dai, was likewise granted the title Lord Wuyang in recognition of his merits.
While Zhao basked in the joy of victory, I too smiled, satisfied with the outcome. Did I feel sorry that my homeland had lost? Though Yan was nominally my country, I held too few fond memories of it to grieve its defeat. Nor did I rejoice in its loss. What pleased me was that this war had improved my own position.
Yan had publicly justified the war with two grievances: the mistreatment of its envoys and the inadequate treatment of its hostage—myself—relative to his status. Both were diplomatic offenses. The real motive was to exploit Zhao's weakness, but outwardly, these were presented as the causes. Despite its practical defeat, Yan had secured Zhao's promise to address both issues in order to save face: envoys would no longer be slighted, and the treatment of the hostage prince would henceforth match his rank.
I had used a war that might have cost me my life to expand my influence and broaden my scope of action.
"This is what they call turning misfortune into fortune, is it not?"
"But have you not seen the letter from the Grand Tutor, my lord? The real problems begin now."
Perhaps finding my self-satisfaction unseemly, Han Jing immediately poured cold water on my mood. He could have let me enjoy this hard-won success a little longer, but worry always came first with him.
"I know. I know. Lian Po wants to see me, does he not?"
"He even warned Teacher Chu that if he found you unsatisfactory, he would tear up the ceasefire and hang you from a pole before marching on Ji."
At first, Han Jing had dismissed the threat, thinking even Lian Po would not go that far. But after reading Guo Mu's letter, his attitude had changed. He now understood that Lian Po was the sort of man who would carry out such words.
"When is he due to arrive? Lian Po, I mean."
Lian Po planned to return to Handan only after stabilizing the newly acquired territories of Gal, Wuyang, and Pingshi. He was likely already on his way.
"At the latest, he should arrive within half a month."
"Half a month…"
It was both a long time and a short one. Unlike Han Jing, however, I had already begun preparing for my meeting with Lian Po the moment I received word from Chu Yan. Half a month was more than enough time to complete my preparations.
In my audience with Lian Po, I could not rely on Lord Xinling's wisdom. I would have to prove my own worth alone against this formidable man.
But it was the same when I faced Lord Pingyuan and Lord Xinling.
Though I might feel nervous, I was not afraid. At least, that was what I had thought.
"So. You are that brat called Ji Dan?"
How on earth does this look like a sixty-year-old grandfather?
Facing Lian Po in person, I realized he was far more terrifying than I had imagined.