The Child Who Admonished Lord Pingyuan
The banquet hall of Lord Pingyuan was vast. It looked large enough to hold several hundred people. Of course, the guests were not packed shoulder to shoulder but seated with a comfortable distance between them, so the actual number appeared to be around a hundred. Yet the weight of those hundred-odd pairs of eyes piercing my small frame brought a burden and pressure that mere gazes alone could impose.
A single royal in attendance—not a queen but a lord—commanded hundreds of retainers. Surprisingly, this was the result of Lord Pingyuan’s power having weakened considerably. In his prime, they say he kept thousands of retainers.
For a member of the royal family who was not a ruler to support thousands of guests was shocking enough when one considered the sheer power involved, but the wealth to feed them and the authority to control them was even more awe-inspiring. A giant of the age. The man seated at the head, looking down upon the assembly—Lord Pingyuan—was truly such an existence.
“I am Ji Dan, young master of Yan.”
Since Lord Pingyuan was also of royal blood, I bowed without hesitation. Upon hearing my introduction, the retainers whispered among themselves.
“I thought it was a woman, but it’s only a child.”
“And an absurdly young one at that.”
“The young master of Yan… isn’t he the one sent here as a hostage?”
The retainers focused on the fact that the instigator of the disturbance was a mere child. Given the sound of my voice, they seemed to have assumed I was a woman. I had momentarily forgotten, but unlike my previous life, this world—though ancient—allowed women to advance in society, much like the states of Yan and Qi. A quick glance around showed that one-third of the seats were occupied by women. Thus, it was apparently more surprising that a child younger than an adult woman had caused such a scene.
Lord Pingyuan did not bother to restrain their reactions. The relationship between him and his retainers was not the strict bond of ruler and subject. Still, there was no need for him to issue a separate command.
“I am Zhao Sheng, Lord of Pingyuan.”
The moment Lord Pingyuan spoke, every voice among the retainers ceased at once. A single phrase, yet it seized the entire hall with overwhelming magnetism. Though his voice was not particularly loud, it struck the ears like a hammer.
“Was it you who sang the song?”
“It was.”
“Why did you sing such a song?”
The expected question. My answer here had to be flawless. The fact that he pointed out the song’s content meant Lord Pingyuan had seen through its true intent. Anything less than a proper reply risked being taken as an insult to his dignity.
I swallowed hard, forcing down my tension, and opened my mouth.
“Confucius exchanged questions and answers with a seven-year-old boy named Xiang Tuo and sought instruction from him. Yet Lord Pingyuan claims he will not accept a nine-year-old child as a guest. How could you be anything less than a greater sage than Confucius? That is why I sang in joy.”
“You sang out of joy?”
My answer must have been unexpected. Lord Pingyuan wore a dazed expression for a moment. Then the corners of his mouth slowly lifted, and he burst into great laughter.
“Hahaha!! A young master uses Confucius to rebuke this old master!”
While Lord Pingyuan laughed heartily, the retainers who followed him burned with indignation, claiming I had mocked their lord. They pointed at me furiously, looking ready to leap forward at any moment.
“Such insolence!”
“Lord Pingyuan! There is no need to listen further! Do not heed the words of such a mere child!”
Once again, Lord Pingyuan left their outbursts unchecked. The role of retainers was to assist their master. Perhaps he was using even this occasion to test their insight and measure their abilities.
Those who dominated the Warring States era, riddled with war and intrigue, must all be like this.
I too needed to learn from the sight. After all, I would one day have to become King of Yan. I had to observe, learn, and internalize the bearing of one who stands above others.
Just as I tried to focus on the retainers’ words as Lord Pingyuan did, a roar that swallowed every other sound in the hall erupted.
“Enough—!!”
The man seated closest to the head rose from his place. His massive shout silenced the entire assembly.
“I tried to listen quietly, but I cannot bear it any longer!”
“Feng Ji! What rudeness is this?”
At the man’s name, I opened my eyes fully and studied his face.
So that is Feng Ji….
He was the one Chuyeon had spoken of—the man who prevented Lord Pingyuan’s preemptive strike against Yan.
Feng Ji began to fiercely rebuke the retainer who had challenged him in return.
“Have you already forgotten Li Tan, whom you all dismissed simply because he was young? What meaning does age hold? You received instruction from Tan back then, yet if you still have not realized the truth, then your own words are the ones unworthy of attention!”
Apparently there was precedent. At the mention of Li Tan, the retainers fell utterly silent. It was powerful eloquence indeed, fitting for the man who had once persuaded Lord Pingyuan himself.
Having silenced the retainers in a single stroke, Feng Ji turned toward Lord Pingyuan and bowed.
“Lord Pingyuan, I apologize for raising my voice.”
“Not at all. As you said, after the matter with Li Tan, how could we reject teaching merely because the speaker is young? You are correct.”
Lord Pingyuan praised Feng Ji for admitting fault, then turned his attention to me.
“Young master of Yan. Since you spoke of Confucius and Xiang Tuo, it must mean you believe you have something to teach me as well.”
I sensed a change in Lord Pingyuan’s gaze. Yes, it had truly shifted. A moment ago those eyes had watched a child performing a clever trick; now they resembled an interviewer carefully assessing whether the candidate before him was genuine talent.
“I request a private audience.”
“Very well.”
Huh? It was granted so easily? Even though I had been the one to suggest it, I found myself bewildered. Perhaps he saw no further need to test either me or the retainers. Leaving me standing there in a daze, he swiftly brought the situation to a close.
“Feng Ji, remain behind and conclude the banquet. As for the rest of you, I hope you will take today’s events as a foundation for growth and continue to lend me your strength in the days ahead.”
“We shall do so, Lord Pingyuan.”
As Lord Pingyuan rose from his seat and left the retainers behind, he glanced sideways at me and said softly, “Young master of Yan, follow me.”
Walking one step behind him in the position of a guest being guided by his host, I followed. Lord Pingyuan spoke again.
“Come closer. Let us walk side by side and talk.”
“Understood.”
When I drew up beside him, Lord Pingyuan continued in a casual tone.
“I had already guessed that the young master would come seeking me.”
The words flowed so naturally that I could not immediately grasp the shocking implication hidden within them.
“Pardon?”
“Of course, I never imagined you would employ such a surprising method. Haha, it was a truly entertaining move. I wondered whether you could reach me through Lord Jianshen’s interference, yet you used a tactic that forced even me into motion. Not even the one obstructing you would have anticipated that.”
I was so startled I nearly hiccuped. So Lord Pingyuan had known everything. That Lord Jianshen had recruited one of his retainers as a spy. That the man would use that spy to block my path to him. And above all, that I would attempt to meet Lord Pingyuan in order to find a way forward. He had known it all and had simply been observing how Lord Jianshen and I would act around him.
“Is that why you granted my request for a private audience?”
“Indeed. After witnessing such an excellent move, it would be only proper to grant at least this much. But tell me—was that tactic something you devised yourself?”
How should I answer? If I told the truth and said I had come up with it, it might raise Lord Pingyuan’s wariness as an unintended side effect. Yet my hesitation lasted only a moment. After all, the only things I could offer Lord Pingyuan were uncertain hypotheses about the future. Therefore, the only move available to me in the present was to charge forward with sincerity and raise my own value!
“Yes, I thought of it myself.”
“I thought as much. The scholar Han Jing who accompanied you did not seem well-versed in schemes.”
A shiver ran down my spine. Just how much did Lord Pingyuan know? If he had even uncovered Han Jing’s personal background, was there anything beyond his knowledge? Feeling like a frog standing before a predatory snake, I stepped into Lord Pingyuan’s chamber. It felt exactly like walking into a tiger’s den of my own free will.
If reaching this point had been the preliminary round, then the conversation I was about to have with Lord Pingyuan was the true match. I sharpened my focus with the keen nerves born of tightly wound tension.
“Since you already know everything, you must also know why I sought you out so desperately.”
“You wish to request my assistance, do you not?”
“Similar, yet different.”
“Different?”
“Have you forgotten? I spoke of Confucius and Xiang Tuo, and you asked in return what I could teach you. I did not come to seek help from Lord Pingyuan. I came to offer advice that will correct the mistake you are making.”
Superior and inferior. I, the one seeking help, would normally be the inferior party, while Lord Pingyuan, the one capable of providing it, would be the superior. That was the natural structure. Yet with my previous words, I had completely reversed our positions—me as the one who had come to help, and Lord Pingyuan as the one committing an error.
“How interesting.”
Lord Pingyuan straightened his posture. Shifting from a slightly relaxed lean into a proper, upright sitting position, he brought his hands together and spoke.
“Then tell me. What mistake is this old lord making?”