The Return of Lord Xinling

The news that Lord Xinling had returned spread like wildfire. She had come back as the Grand Commander of the Coalition Army formed to rescue Wei. That single shocking report was enough to revive the Six States, which had been drowning in terror at the prospect of Qin’s all-out invasion.

Who was Lord Xinling? From childhood she had been called a prodigy. She gathered countless retainers and, before she had even come of age, served as a general of Wei. For ten long years she completely blocked every invasion from neighboring states. An undefeated legendary commander on par with Bai Qi, Lian Po, and Yue Yi. When Zhao stood on the brink of destruction, she abandoned all her glory and appeared without warning to save Handan—the greatest hero of the age. Even Qin could not prevail against her. The king of Qin’s own cherished general, Wang He, had been defeated by her before the walls of Handan and forced to flee.

If such a woman was to be the supreme commander, the people of the Six States believed they could entrust their armies to her without hesitation. That was the general perception across the realm.

Rumors had already spread that the Zhao-Wei allied forces had chosen Lord Xinling, Wei Wuqi, as their overall commander. When she personally issued a manifesto confirming the truth of those rumors, the other states began to respond in earnest.

Lord Xinling led Zhao’s reinforcements south toward Wei while simultaneously calling for the full assembly of the Coalition Army. Her manifesto stirred the hearts of countless people, and her envoys traveled to every court to draw the feudal lords into the alliance. The whirlwind stirred by her name spared no one—not even the enemy.

Even Qi, which had maintained cooperative ties with Qin, began to seriously debate whether it should join the Coalition this time. The prevailing opinion was that even if they could not send troops, they should at least provide supplies such as military rations. But Qin did not sit idle. The former Qin Chancellor Cai Ze personally traveled to Qi and persuaded the King of Qi. Though he could not compare to Lord Xinling, Cai Ze was nevertheless a giant among giants—an immigrant from Yan who had risen to the position of Chancellor of Qin. In the end, Qi decided to maintain its existing policy and stand with Qin.

The other five states, however, moved differently.

Chu was the first to act. It was the homeland of Chunshingun, who, like Lord Xinling, was counted among the Four Lords. Having already formed a Coalition with Wei and Zhao during the previous siege of Handan, Chu swiftly shifted to wartime footing. They had already learned the routes when they marched all the way to Handan in the last Coalition. As soon as their army was organized, they marched north and entered Wei territory.

Almost simultaneously with Chu, Zhao also formed its army and set out. The Zhao forces personally led by Lord Xinling, who would serve as the Coalition’s supreme commander, departed slightly later than Chu but arrived inside Wei at nearly the same time.

Beside Lord Xinling were not only Zhao’s soldiers but also the retainers who had followed her for years. Just as Lord Pingyuan had gathered his retainers to form a three-thousand-man suicide squad during the siege of Handan, retainers who were properly armed were no different from private soldiers. In addition, the general who would command the Zhao army on the front lines in Lord Xinling’s stead had also joined them.

Pang Nuan.

A strategist who had been one of the core figures of Zhao’s military alongside Lian Po, Lin Xiangru, and Zhao She during the kingdom’s resurgence under King Wuling of Zhao. Like Lian Po, Pang Nuan belonged to the previous generation. During the prime of King Wuling—when he himself had been in the full vigor of youth—he had only discussed military strategy and grand plans, never taking the field himself. Strictly speaking, he was closer to a scholar and horizontal-and-vertical strategist than a battlefield general.

Yet while writing a treatise recording the insights he had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠gained over his lifetime, something in his heart must have changed. Upon reading the manifesto circulated by Lord Xinling, Pang Nuan traveled to Handan and volunteered to follow her as a general of Zhao.

Quite apart from his trust in Lord Xinling, the King of Zhao had been troubled by the thought of sending no general of his own; Pang Nuan’s offer was like a thorn being pulled from his side. The king immediately appointed him general and sent him to accompany Lord Xinling as her deputy.

The next to send word of participation was, surprisingly, Han. The envoy who came to Lord Xinling in utmost secrecy had been sent by Han’s Chancellor Han Xi. He conveyed Han’s firm intention to completely block Qin’s retreat once their army entered Henei. Han’s entire military strength, even if every soldier was squeezed out, would barely reach fifty thousand. And because they were too close to Qin, openly joining the Coalition with an army would cost the King of Han his head.

Yet the fact that Han could not send direct reinforcements did not mean they offered no help. On the contrary, Han’s cooperation was a powerful card. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠They could raid Qin’s supply lines or deliver a finishing blow to the retreating Qin forces if the Coalition won.

But the person Wei Wuqi had been waiting for was neither the Chu army that had arrived faster than anyone expected, nor Qi which had refrained from joining despite expectations, nor even Han which had exceeded expectations by expressing active support.

It was the one who had sent no word at all, yet Wei Wuqi believed without doubt that he would come to her. And her faith was not ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠misplaced.

“Tang Ju.”

“Yes, Lord Xinling.”

If Lord Mengchang had Feng Xuan and Lord Pingyuan had Mao Sui, then Lord Xinling had the retainer Hou Ying. But Hou Ying had followed Heaven’s will and died alongside Zhu Hai on the day she went to save Handan. The great void he left behind had been filled by this man.

Tang Ju.

He was older than even Lian Po, yet in health he surpassed him. The profound wisdom and experience accumulated over his long life were more than enough to fill Hou Ying’s place. If Xue Gong and Mao Gong were Lord Xinling’s eyes and hands, then Tang Ju was truly her brain.

Lord Xinling had not kept him at her side but had instead sent him wandering across the world. He managed the followers scattered like dots across the realm and served as the bridge connecting her—confined in the narrow land of Handan—with them. And when Lord Xinling returned to Wei in splendor as the Coalition’s supreme commander, Tang Ju returned to his original position and resumed his role as her strategist.

In this Coalition, Tang Ju was using his exceptional eloquence and intelligence to coordinate between the various armies. Therefore, when he heard the note of welcome in Lord Xinling’s voice, he immediately realized a new task had come to him.

“He has finally arrived.”

“Which one, my lord? There is still one state that has not yet come, is there not?”

“Who else?”

Wei Wuqi smiled and stretched out her slender, jade-like hand. Her long, smooth index finger pointed at a black speck against the blue sky.

“The Swallow has come.”

When I first heard that Lord Xinling had returned—when I read the manifesto she had written with her own hand—I wanted to rush out immediately and issue mobilization orders to the high officials of Yan’s military who had promised to help me.

But that was not something I was permitted to do. I could ask them to prepare in advance, but I could not order them to move troops in my name. That would have been a personal coup.

Although real military authority rested in my hands, the supreme command of Yan’s army still belonged to my father, the king. Therefore, I needed patience. I had to go through the proper process of persuading the King of Yan to declare his intention to join the Coalition in accordance with Lord Xinling’s manifesto.

The King of Yan, who granted me a private audience, treated me almost as if I were a political rival. He had never worried about a successor. The Prince of Ancheng, born to Queen Yan, who might have been a worthy rival, had been far too young when the previous king, King Xiao of Yan, died to even enter the line of competition.

My father, who had ascended the throne in an instant after King Xiao’s early death, seemed not to know how to hide his expression or read my intentions when faced with his first real rival for power. Perhaps it was the side effect of rising to the throne without ever living as a hostage in a hostile state from childhood or diligently studying the art of kingship as crown prince.

He was only half a king—standing tall upon the royal authority that King Zhao of Yan ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had built, King Hui had somewhat eroded, and Kings Wu and Xiao had restored—knowing only how to wield power. That was my father.

“Why not do as you please, like last time? You already have Jin Kai, Ji Xin, and Yue Jian wrapped around your finger, using them as your own men.”

Yes. If I wished, I could do exactly that. Raising an army without the king’s permission? Lord Xinling had already done it. She had even taken the extreme step of killing her own renowned general, Jin Bi, in order to obtain the military tallies. And despite committing what was essentially treasonous overreach, she had now returned to Wei as a savior of the nation.

Considering her example, seizing military power without authorization was certainly an option I could choose. But it was not the path I would take.

Look at Lord Xinling. Though the entire world praised her as a righteous person, she had still been forced to waste ten full years before she could return to her homeland as a general once more. That was the price she paid. She may have become a hero of the world, but within Wei she had become a traitor. Despite possessing abilities surpassing the king and enjoying far greater popularity, Lord Xinling had not been promised office in Wei or any other state.

It was different from Lord Mengchang, who had taken direct revenge on his own homeland of Qi. Lord Mengchang had even been offered the position of Chancellor in Qin, and in Wei—Lord Xinling’s own country—he had actually been appointed to that role.

Why had such a difference arisen between the two? It was a matter of trust.

No matter how much the Warring States era had seen morality fall to the ground and virtue roll in the mud, the value of trust shone all the brighter. Lord Xinling had killed her own country’s general and betrayed her lord, the King of Wei, all in pursuit of righteousness. Which feudal lord would entrust her with heavy responsibility when she might betray them again under the banner of justice?

The same applied to me. Ignoring the king’s authority and committing overreach would be no different from cutting my own flesh. If even the king’s authority could be disregarded so easily, how could the crown prince’s authority remain untouched? Even the greatest dam collapses from a tiny hole. I could not afford even the smallest flaw. That would be the same as abandoning my greatest weapon of my own accord.

This path might seem slow for now. But if I set my eyes on a future beyond this immediate Coalition, this was the proper path—and in the end, the shortest one.

And persuading the King of Yan is not a difficult task.

Everything I had experienced so far proved that the King of Yan was a man of weak will. Among all the people I had faced until now, none had been easier than him. Compared to Lord Pingyuan, Lord Xinling, Lian Po, or Jin Kai, the King of Yan could hardly even be called an ordeal.

“Your Majesty. Joining the Coalition is not for my sake, but for this kingdom—and ultimately for Your Majesty’s own good. How could you not understand this?”

Not long after our private conversation, the King of Yan publicly declared in court that he would join the Coalition for the sake of the great cause of the world. The size of the relief force would be forty thousand men. The person in charge was me.