Chapter 319: The Six Kings — Finished!

Heifu called out several times before Yang Xiong finally recognized that this lower minister wearing a brown-feathered cap was actually his former subordinate, the little platoon leader Heifu…

Back then, Yang Xiong had relied on his father's influence to enlist as a court gentleman, and only reached Grand Master after the campaign to destroy Wei. In the wars that followed, he jumped three ranks to Left Commoner Chief, then entered Xianyang to serve as "Weinan Marshal" of the Guard Army, commanding three thousand troops.

Yet Heifu had been merely a Bu Geng at the time — this meteoric rise was truly astonishing. Still, Yang Xiong had heard that Heifu had seized Xiang Yan's army banner and campaigned south into Yuzhang, opening up a thousand li of territory. By the look of things, he had caught the King of Qin's eye and was about to enter court as a court gentleman.

Being on equal footing with a former subordinate left Yang Xiong feeling somewhat conflicted, but he was a deep-minded man by nature and quickly covered it with a hearty laugh.

"As a court gentleman, not only will you see the King often and serve as a palace guard upon entry, it is also the main source for commandery and county officials. Perhaps when you leave Xianyang, you'll be sent out to govern a hundred li, or a thousand! Heifu, you must strive!"

But there was one thing Yang Xiong left unsaid: court gentlemen and palace guards were always strictly selected from the sons of military-merit noble houses of good Guanzhong background and generations of loyalty, every one of them arrogant and proud. With Heifu's rank, he should be able to hold a fairly high office, but for a superior of commoner origin like him to win the genuine respect of his subordinates would not be easy…

Heifu hurriedly protested that he dared not presume so, and after some modest pleasantries, he pointed at the Guard Army troops sealing Ba Bridge so tightly that no official or commoner could pass, and asked, "Marshal Yang, with a formation like this, could it be that something has happened?"

After asking, he made a show of having misspoken, cupped his hands, and said, "If it concerns confidential matters, pretend this lowly official never asked!"

Yang Xiong said, "It's hardly confidential. Soon, everyone in Xianyang, everyone under heaven, will know. It's just that the news hasn't arrived yet."

"Oh? What matter is it?"

"No rush — take a guess." Yang Xiong held back the reveal, his gaze turning eastward, toward where Hangu Pass lay.

A thought flashed through Heifu's mind, and he smiled. "Last year, in spring and summer, Yan and Dai were destroyed. In the fifth month, the King declared a realm-wide feast, and from then until the autumn harvest, there was no warfare anywhere. Reckoning the time, if the army was deployed east during the post-harvest farming lull, the outcome should be about settled by now…"

Yang Xiong shot Heifu a surprised look and laughed. "You guessed right. At the end of the tenth month, General Wang Ben, General Meng Tian, and General Li Xin struck south from Yan into Qi. By early La month they reached Qi's Ji River north, and by late La month, Qi surrendered without a fight…"

"How swift!"

Heifu had heard something of Qi's situation. With the Three Jin, Yan, and Chu already destroyed, the enfeoffed lords, ministers, military officers, soldiers, and wandering knights of the five states had nearly all fled to Qi, which had become the most concentrated area of restorationist forces. They must have been straining every nerve to fight Qin to the death — who would have thought the King of Qi would surrender without even resisting.

"Credit goes to Qi's Chancellor Hou Sheng."

Yang Xiong laughed heartily. "All these years, which year did we not send him gold, pearls, and jewels? Thanks to his mediation, Qi sat by and watched the feudal lords fall one after another. King Jian of Qi has reigned forty years, and for forty years Qi's lands saw no war — armor and weapons were not maintained, the common people were not trained. When the great army arrived at their gates, they'd all turned spineless, too afraid to resist."

"And the Qin envoy Chen Chi, bearing the King's command, lured him with five hundred li of territory. King Jian of Qi delivered himself right to our door!"

As he spoke, he pointed toward a distant column of troops and horses, wheels rumbling and steeds neighing, advancing from east to west. "Look — King Jian of Qi's grand procession entering court has arrived!"

…

That day, several thousand people gathered by Ba Bridge to watch the spectacle of King Jian of Qi entering court before Qin.

Among them were passing travelers and local farmers alike. Everyone was excited, pointing and commenting at the princely scions, palace ladies and maids, tall Qi beauties, and the host of ministers and officials as they stepped onto Ba Bridge one after another.

"This is no court entry — it's clearly prisoners."

Heifu's driver Sang Mu shook his head. The princely scions in their Qi silk and Lu gauze hung their heads in dejection, while the palace ladies and maids wept and wailed, their makeup already streaked. The ministers and officials sighed with every third step.

Earlier, Sang Mu had gone to ask about his rank and identified himself as an "Officer Grand Master." The old farmer, supported by his grandson, stood on tiptoe watching the scene. His right arm had been severed, so he had to rest his left arm on his grandson's shoulder.

Hearing Sang Mu's remark, the one-armed old farmer laughed. "Young man, you're right — it's not a court entry, it's prisoners! This scene — from the King's seventeenth year until now, this old man has witnessed it for the sixth time!"

The seventeenth year of King Zheng of Qin was precisely the year Han was destroyed.

"Venerable sir, you are advanced in years, high in rank, and broad in experience," Heifu praised the old farmer, who then began talking volubly.

"The first to come was King An of Han. The procession was filled with the music of Zheng and Wei. Lord Zheng, who managed the canals, even came to receive him, kowtowing by the bridge, saying he could never again be King of Han's subject — he spoke so movingly. Ah, right — the one who captured the King of Han back then was the Intendant who just arrived last month… what was his clan name again?"

"Ye." Heifu supplied it for him.

"Right, right — Ye!"

The old farmer slapped the back of his own graying head with his one arm and laughed. "A few years later, the King of Zhao came too. The King of Zhao was said to be the son of a harlot, and the King was harshest toward Zhao. He made him wear coarse hemp clothes and mangy sheepskin furs, without even a carriage, walking the whole way into the pass. After over a thousand li, his shoes had worn away, his feet were covered in blood, kowtowing with every step. The bloodstains were left on the bridge — a pity that carts and feet have worn them away by now, you can't see them anymore…"

He bared his many missing teeth. "This old man doesn't pity him. I hate the Zhao people too. This right hand of mine — I lost it forty years ago, at Changping!"

Hearing that this was a veteran who had followed Lord Wu'an, Bai Qi, in the Battle of Changping, Heifu couldn't help but feel deep respect. He invited the old farmer to sit in the carriage and no longer minded his rambling.

The old farmer was quite satisfied with Heifu's attitude. At his age, with his experience — comparable to Wang Jian's — never mind a Left Commoner Chief, even if the Chancellor himself came, he might not necessarily give him a pleasant face.

"That said, we killed no few Zhao people either. Over four hundred thousand — we saw red until our eyes went blind. Heads filled the valleys, there were too many corpses to bury, and in the end even the Dan River was blocked. But these Zhao people are like crops in the field — you can never kill them all. Cut down one crop here, and another sprouts up in Handan. Ah, well, well. When it comes to enmity, the Zhao hate the Qin even more."

"After that came the King of Wei. The King of Wei wept so miserably. I heard his capital was flooded, washed away — so many died. Boats could sail through the streets, and the land couldn't be farmed. Truly pitiful."

Heifu had taken part in the campaign to destroy Wei and had witnessed the King of Wei surrendering to Wang Ben.

"Then came the King of Chu… what was his name again? Two syllables, the Chu accent is awkward, I don't remember. Chu was brought back by the King after he toured the east, along with several thousand Chu people. The women were all petite, the men all wore bright caps with tassels and crimson robes with wide sleeves. But in this old man's view, those tall Chu caps make perfect arrow targets on the battlefield. Never mind the women — even the men had waists that slender. How could they fight a war? No wonder Great Qin kept chasing them all over."

"And last year, King Xi of Yan was captured and brought here — the smallest group. They wore the reddish-brown convict garb. I don't remember much else, just those several hundred fine Eastern Hu horses we seized."

"And finally — this King of Qi…"

The old Ba Bridge farmer's words reminded Heifu of a line he'd learned from a textbook: The collections of Yan and Zhao, the accumulations of Han and Wei, the finest of Qi and Chu — through generations and years, plundered from their people, piled high as mountains. Once they could hold them no longer, they were transported here…

The old farmer's mouth had gone dry from talking. Heifu smiled and handed him his leather flask. The old farmer took a sip and grumbled, asking why it wasn't wine.

As they spoke, most of the procession had passed, and the King of Qi's carriage arrived as well…

…

King Jian of Qi had surrendered voluntarily, so his treatment was a little better than King Qian of Zhao's — he still had a carriage to ride in. But the carriage had no canopy, not even side curtains, probably a deliberate choice to make him endure the contemptuous stares of the Qin people.

In Heifu's eyes, the King of Qi was an aging fat man, tall cap and broad sash, dressed all in purple. Though in straitlaced Qin, purple was not a proper color, the Qi people happened to love it — throughout the state, purple robes were the most prized.

Before and behind the King of Qi's carriage, apart from the Qin soldiers escorting him, were several men dressed in the manner of grand masters. They had no carriage to ride and could only walk. A few could go no further and, disregarding the rites between lord and subject, grabbed onto the carriage shafts to pull themselves along.

Only one tall Qi grand master walked with head high and chest out before the carriage. Heifu noticed that he still wore shackles on his hands.

Reaching Ba Bridge, this man halted his steps. He raised his bloodshot eyes, gazed at Xianyang City faintly visible in the distance, and revealed a mournful smile.

He seemed to have steeled his resolve. In a few quick strides he rushed ahead and blocked King Jian of Qi's carriage!

The Qin official driving the carriage hurriedly reined in the horses and ordered the Qin soldiers guarding the bridge to drive the man away.

But the man clung desperately to the ornamental pillar at the bridgehead and cried out loudly:

"This lowly subject once told the Great King: Qi's territory spans several thousand li, with several hundred thousand armored soldiers. The stalwart men of the Three Jin who refuse to surrender to the Qin brigands number in the tens of thousands in the lands between E and Juan. Had the King gathered them and given them a host of a hundred thousand to recover the former lands of the Three Jin, the pass at Linjin could have been entered. The grand masters of Chu and Yan unwilling to become Qin captives number in the hundreds at Chengyang. Had the King gathered them and given them a host of a hundred thousand to recover Chu's former lands, Wu Pass could have been entered! Thus, Qi's might could have been established, and the five states could have been restored!"

"Yet the Great King would not heed his subject, instead choosing to believe Hou Sheng's words, facing west to serve Qin. Do you regret it now? Where is the five hundred li of land the Qin envoy promised the Great King? Had you heeded your subject's counsel early on, we would now be crossing Ba Bridge by carriage to water our horses in the Wei River — how could we have been taken captive by Qin!?"

These words were spoken in the Qi dialect, which the Qin people could not understand. As they looked at one another in bewilderment, the fat King of Qi in the carriage, who had been stifling his feelings the whole journey, could hold back no longer. Tears streaming down his face, he rose and cupped his hands. "Grand Master of Jimo, I…"

But words were useless now. The Grand Master of Jimo stopped him and sighed deeply. "Long ago, our former lord King Wei cast a dui-vessel with an inscription that read: With steaming and tasting offerings, preserve the state of Qi, for ten thousand generations of descendants, let this forever be the constant rule! The reason a king is established is for the altars of state! The reason subjects are established is also for the altars of state. But now, Qi's altars have perished, the Tian clan's ancestral temple is extinguished…"

"I had not dared to harbor thoughts of death, but having walked to this place, I truly cannot bear to enter Xianyang as a captive chieftain, to be laughed at by the Qin people. Your subject must die now!"

With these words, he violently rammed his head against the stone ornamental pillar he was clutching. The force was tremendous — it was as though one heard the sound of a melon splitting open. In an instant, the Grand Master of Jimo's face was covered in blood, his body went limp, and it was clear he was beyond saving…

The Qin onlookers let out a collective gasp of shock. King Jian of Qi was deeply grieved, choking out a few sobs. He wanted to descend from the carriage, but the Qin officials barred his way.

He could only cover his own face, too ashamed to face his ministers again, and asked Yang Xiong, who had come to inspect, to see that the Jimo Grandee was properly buried.

Yang Xiong dismissed it with contempt and casually ordered his subordinate, "Find the local bailiff, dig some random hole, and bury him!"

After the soldiers dragged away the Jimo Grandee's corpse, leaving only two trails of blood, the one-armed old farmer, who had been silent for a long while, finally said quietly, "Han, Zhao, Wei, Chu, Yan, Qi — though the ruler of each state is unworthy, and their generals and ministers are men who cling to life and fear death, every state still has its loyal ministers."

Heifu was also deeply moved and thought to himself, "Indeed. If the rulers of the six states, starting over a hundred years ago, had learned to each cherish their own people, how could it have come to this…"

Yet even though King Wei and King Xuan of Qi were brilliant and wise, they could not avoid having descendants who were either foolish and arrogant or so short-sighted they could not see beyond their own noses. For Qin to produce six or seven generations of worthy rulers in a row, starting from Duke Xian of Qin, was truly a lottery-winning probability.

Besides, if all six kings had been worthy, Heifu could never have so easily risen to Left Chief of the Masses, and the men of Nan Commandery under his command would have suffered grievous losses.

The old farmer shook his head and sighed for a while, but soon grew cheerful again. "My eldest grandson followed General Meng Tian to attack Yan and Dai, and then went to Qi. Since there's no more fighting, he'll be coming home soon!"

With that, he lost all interest in watching the excitement and had his grandson help him away.

Heifu, however, had to wait to cross the bridge, so he stayed until the tail end of the convoy passed. The wind blew aside the bamboo mat covering one of the carts, revealing a corner of glittering gold that made everyone gasp in amazement.

The irony was that these dozens of cartloads of gold had all been sent, over the past ten-odd years, by the King of Qin via Li Si and Wei Liao to the Qi Chancellor Hou Sheng, to persuade him not to aid the five states against Qin. Now, Hou Sheng was returning it all, with interest…

Only after all the carts and horses escorting the King of Qi had passed did Yang Xiong lift the martial law on Ba Bridge. With a crack of the whip through the air, Heifu's carriage set off once more.

Riding across Ba Bridge, gazing at the Qi procession not far ahead, Heifu felt that a chapter of history was drawing to a close before his very eyes.

His six years of eastern campaigns and southern expeditions had at last come to an end.

With the fall of Qi, five hundred and fifty years of warfare throughout the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods were also declared finished!

Heifu's gaze turned north. He saw the billowing thick smoke on the northern bank of the Wei River, where colossal bronze statues were being cast, and he saw the majestic, towering palaces on the Xianyang plateau, standing against the blue sky and white clouds!

The First Emperor was there, waiting for him to report in.

A new story was also waiting for Heifu to begin!

Heifu smiled and gently patted the carriage shaft, summing up all these years of toil.

"The six kings are done, the four seas are one!"

PS: End of Volume Two!

(End of chapter)