Return and Reunion
Immediately after formally accepting Mao Sui as a retainer, the people I had asked Jeon Gwang to gather appeared together in the office. Jeon Gwang. Yeo Hong-seong. Sima Shang. Mao Sui. They were my closest aides, my very hands and feet. Those absent—Han Jing, Chu Yeon, Jing Ke, and No Gu-cheon—could also be counted among them. In that sense, half of the retainers I could confidently call my own were present. Sima Shang’s position was somewhat ambiguous, but if I thought of her as a loaned player, she was mine for now.
“Some of you may know him, but many will be meeting him for the first time, so allow me to introduce him first. This is Lord Mao Sui, formerly a retainer of Lord Pingyuan. He is the very man who achieved great merits while remaining hidden among the ranks. From now on, he will assist me alongside all of you.”
“Ah, so this is the renowned Lord Mao Sui. I am Jeon Gwang of Yan. I currently serve as the chief steward under His Highness.”
“Hmm? He seems quite famous, but I must apologize—I know little of the Central Plains. I am Yeo Hong-seong of Yue. I look forward to working with you.”
“We meet again. I had a feeling it would come to this.”
The three offered their varied greetings, and Mao Sui responded with proper courtesy.
“I am Mao Sui of Zhao. His Highness has entrusted me with all matters concerning intelligence and espionage. Should you require assistance in those areas, please do not hesitate to speak.”
“That is most welcome news.”
Jeon Gwang, who also served as my strategist, brightened at the prospect of relief from his chronic shortage of information. Even Yeo Hong-seong, who had nearly mastered the common sense of the Central Plains, showed interest in the latest rumors. Sima Shang, however, had already heard of Mao Sui from me and displayed little curiosity.
Once the brief commotion settled, I announced the results of my journey to Liaodong.
“I have succeeded in securing General Jin Gai’s cooperation.”
“As expected of Your Highness.”
“Ho, for all his bluster, he proved quite capable.”
“Not bad at all.”
After Jeon Gwang, Yeo Hong-seong, and Sima Shang each offered their impressions, Mao Sui added a remark of his own.
“Then, since Chu Yeon has already persuaded Geuk Shin, the only one left is E Jian.”
“Ah, there is something I must report regarding that matter as well. Shang?”
All eyes turned to her. Sima Shang cleared her throat lightly before speaking.
“Before Ji Dan left for Liaodong, he entrusted me with a task.”
“It concerns E Jian, I presume.”
“Yes, exactly.”
Perhaps because Mao Sui was a legendary retainer of Zhao, Sima Shang’s tone toward him was noticeably cautious—quite unlike her usual boldness even when addressing those of higher status than herself.
“The E clan originally made their home in Yan alongside E Yi, but when King Hui’s persecution forced Lord Wangzhu to flee to Zhao, the clan split in two.”
Thus did Yan’s Lord Changguo, E Yi, become Zhao’s Lord Wangzhu. Only after losing the ox did Yan realize the worth of the stable. When Qi’s Tian Dan began to overwhelm them, Yan begged E Yi to return, but he had already seen enough and politely refused in the famous letter known as the Reply to King Hui of Yan. To cast aside a peerless general who had nearly toppled a mighty rival state, only to plead for his return once his usefulness seemed spent—such a tale would surely be mocked for lacking plausibility even in the exile stories of my previous life.
‘Tian Dan’s behind-the-scenes maneuvering played a part, so perhaps his ability was truly extraordinary.’
At any rate, when E Yi fled from Yan to Zhao, the E clan divided into two factions: those who remained in Yan and those who followed him to Zhao. The former was represented by E Jian, E Yi’s son and heir to the title Lord Changguo. The latter was led by E Sheng, E Yi’s nephew who had accompanied him to Zhao.
“That E Sheng recently distinguished himself as a Zhao general in the war against Yan.”
While Lian Po had blocked the former chancellor Yul Bok, E Sheng had faced General Gyeong Jin of Zhao in the north. Earlier still, alongside General Gyeong Sa, he had defeated Qin’s General Shin Liang, proving that the E clan, which had produced the great general E Yi, still possessed exceptional military talent. Currently, E Sheng’s prestige ranked just below Lian Po’s—even above that of Li Mu. Unlike Li Mu, who had achieved no notable merits since his great victory over the Xiongnu, E Sheng had been constantly active and accumulated many accomplishments.
“E Sheng is widely regarded as the most promising candidate to succeed General Lian Po of Xinping as Zhao’s next great general. He also maintains a close relationship with his kinsman, E Jian.”
“Indeed. During the last war, E Jian argued that Zhao should not be attacked, claiming that even with five times the troops, victory would be impossible.”
“E Jian must have known. Even if Zhao’s forces were diminished after the Battle of Changping, the lineage of renowned generals that had made it a great power had not been broken.”
Impatient with the lengthy background, Yeo Hong-seong pressed forward.
“I understand the relationship between E Jian and E Sheng. So what did you do about E Sheng?”
“It was simple. I asked him to write a letter.”
“A letter? To E Jian?”
“Yes.”
The factions within the court were divided into four: the pro-prince faction led by Grand Tutor Guomu, the pro-prince faction led by Guest Minister So Dae, the royalist faction led by Chancellor Jang Geo, and the neutral faction led by Lord Changguo, E Jian. Setting aside the latter two who were merely observing, the political struggle was essentially between the pro-prince and pro-prince factions. Originally, it seemed the pro-prince side would prevail as the Grand Tutor gained influence through military merits, but when So Dae—who had long blocked Zhao’s invasions through diplomacy—joined the pro-prince faction, the balance was restored. Should a figure as influential as E Jian align with either side, the equilibrium would be greatly disrupted.
“What E Jian desires is peace between Zhao and Yan. Yet both the pro-prince and pro-prince factions possess plausible arguments. He simply cannot decide which side to support and thus maintains neutrality—not because he is a royalist like Chancellor Jang Geo, sworn only to the king’s word.”
Knowing this, both sides had repeatedly attempted to recruit him, but with the king still alive and the chancellor serving as a prominent royalist, direct and overt contact remained difficult.
“In that regard, a letter from his kinsman E Sheng, a renowned Zhao general, would greatly aid E Jian’s judgment.”
It was a request only Sima Shang, a Zhao native and disciple of Li Mu, could make—securing E Sheng’s cooperation first in order to draw in E Jian.
“You should thank your uncle later. He lent his strength to this.”
From long experience, I recognized this as Sima Shang’s way of masking her embarrassment. While it was true that Li Mu had exerted his influence, it was Sima Shang herself who had explained the necessity of the matter to him and prompted his action. Her words were clearly an attempt to hide her own efforts and merits out of shyness.
“Of course I will. I am already indebted to General Li Mu in many ways.”
“Hmph. As long as you know.”
“So, has a reply come from General E Jian?”
When Jeon Gwang asked, caught between excitement and anxiety, Sima Shang curled her lips into a grin and nodded.
“It will begin soon. The discussion regarding the crown prince’s investiture.”
The royalist faction might attempt to join forces with the royalists to block the investiture alongside the king, but that too would now prove difficult. It would not be only the Ji faction submitting memorials urging the appointment of a crown prince for the sake of stabilizing the wavering state. Though the king’s authority appeared absolute, a ruler who failed to properly defend the country ultimately had no choice but to heed the will of the people. Having ended the war with Zhao in a draw with no gains and having allowed the Xiongnu to encroach upon the realm for the first time in decades, the king’s prestige had fallen to a level where he could no longer refuse compromise.
“Then it seems the time to leave Changseong is drawing near.”
“Ah, regarding that—I intend to leave people behind in Changseong.”
The development of the super-steel forging method was still incomplete, and it would be a waste to let the shipyard I had built rot. Having come this far, I planned to develop Changseong into a central hub for the maritime routes connecting Liaodong and Qi.
“Even if I go to Ji, I would like you to remain here for the time being, Chief Steward Jeon, and oversee matters.”
“The Grand Tutor is in Ji, as is Doctor Han Jing. There will be no shortage of people to assist Your Highness. I will follow your will. However, please do not keep this old man waiting too long.”
“Of course. I will send a successor as soon as possible. Thank you for making this difficult decision.”
Having settled matters in Changseong, I voiced the thought I had been harboring regarding the crown prince.
“Once discussions about the crown prince begin, I, as the person concerned, will go to Ji. And there, I intend to meet with So Dae.”
“So Dae? Is that necessary?”
“Hmm, at this rate, the crown prince’s position is practically guaranteed, isn’t it?”
Sima Shang and Yeo Hong-seong voiced their doubts, but I believed this was a necessary step. Even the smallest conflict could lead to a massive schism in the future. If that happened, instead of forming the anti-Qin coalition, I would have to pour all my energy into merely preserving Yan.
“So Dae is the younger brother of Su Qin. He is also the man who achieved great merits in preventing discord among the six states.”
So Dae had halted Zhao’s invasion of Yan and sowed discord between Qin’s chancellor Fan Ju and its great general Bai Qi, thereby preserving Zhao and Han when they stood on the brink of destruction after the Battle of Changping. With So Dae’s participation, the banner of the coalition would fly even higher, serving as an anchor to unite the wavering states.
“I intend to persuade even So Dae.”