Chapter 325: Wang Meng

Heifu rose exceptionally early today. Before the cock had even crowed, he was already riding a carriage away from his residence.

Today was his first day assuming the post of Gentleman-of-the-Palace Director of the Gates. He was to enter the palace to meet his superiors, colleagues, and subordinates, and might even be received by the King of Qin — he could not afford to be late.

On either side of the streets and alleys, night watchmen were doing their final sweeping. The minor clerks in charge of the gates yawned as they opened them, and lamps and candles were being lit one after another.

By the time the first cock crow rang out, Heifu had already arrived outside the Zhangtai Palace.

The height of Zhangtai Palace lay not only in its walls, which rose several zhang, but also in the ground it occupied — a stretch of flat terrace land just south of the Wei River, which the locals called the "Dragon Head Plateau."

Heifu had once heard Zhang Cang tell him that, it was said, in the time of Duke Wen of Qin, one day after nightfall, a black dragon came from the Zhongnan Mountains to the south to drink from the Wei River to the north. The places it passed through were swept by wind and cloud, and the land swelled upward, forming an earthen terrace that stretched for several dozen li. Its highest point reached twenty zhang, and its lowest five or six zhang, so the locals called it Dragon Head Mountain.

In the Guanzhong region, broad, flat terraces elevated above the ground were generally called "plateaus" — places like Phoenix Perch Plateau in the southern suburbs and White Deer Plateau in the eastern suburbs are all this type of terrain, so Dragon Head Mountain was also called the Dragon Head Plateau.

"Some also say that Duke Wen of Qin, while out hunting, captured this black dragon and buried it at the highest point of Dragon Head Mountain. So later, in the time of King Zhao, when they built palaces south of the Wei, they set the palace location at the highest point of the Dragon Head Plateau."

This was the legend and "geomancy" of Zhangtai Palace. Today, Heifu was traveling from Zhangtai Street, which lay along the dragon's body, toward the dragon's head. The higher he went, the steeper it became. After arriving at Zhangtai Gate, he presented his letter of appointment and official seal by the light of pine torches to the subordinates of the "Gentleman-of-the-Palace General" guarding the palace gate.

The "inner court guards" of Qin Shi Huang were divided into three categories: Inner Gentlemen, Palace Gentlemen, and Outer Gentlemen. Among them, the Inner Gentlemen accompanied the emperor at all times, keeping night watch within the forbidden inner palace — wherever the emperor went, they went, and their relationship was the closest. The Palace Gentlemen were fixedly responsible for guarding Xianyang Palace and Zhangtai Palace, and only occasionally accompanied the emperor. The Outer Gentlemen served only at detached palaces like Linguang Palace, and their relationship with the emperor was the most distant.

Therefore, even for the same official post, Outer Gentlemen and Palace Gentlemen were automatically half a rank lower than Inner Gentlemen. For instance, the Palace Gentleman Director of the Gates guarding Zhangtai Gate, after inspecting Heifu's letter of appointment and commission, broke into an ingratiating smile.

"So it's the newly appointed Inner Gentleman Director of the Gates! From now on, we are colleagues!"

Heifu did not put on airs either. He cupped his hands and said, "I wouldn't dare. I, Heifu, am new here and still hope for your generous guidance."

The cock's crow had already passed, and the time to open the gates had come. The heavy palace gates slowly opened for Heifu. The Palace Gentleman Director of the Gates dispatched a few Gentlemen guards to lead Heifu inside, and the political center of the Qin Dynasty revealed itself clearly before his eyes.

The inner court was still deep in sweet slumber. Aside from the Gentlemen guards making their rounds, everywhere was silent, without a single sound.

After entering and turning onto the main north-south avenue, Heifu finally understood why, ever since King Zhao of Qin, successive Qin kings had favored this palace as a place to conduct government affairs and receive envoys.

It was just as the sun was rising. Looking out, with the elevation of the Dragon Head High Terrace, hundreds of steps rose layer upon layer, making the magnificent and towering palace seem unattainably lofty. Gazing up from below, it seemed to stand level with the heavens!

And having arrived here, he had also formally entered the "Forbidden Inner" zone.

"So this is the new Inner Gentleman Director of the Gates? Seeing the height of the great hall for the first time, how does it feel?"

A voice came from behind and to the side. Heifu turned his head and saw a beardless young officer, about his own height, wearing a flat cap, his bearing heroic and vigorous, his hand resting on his sword. Behind him followed a squad of Gentlemen guards clad in fine armor, holding great halberds, awe-inspiring and majestic...

"Commandant Wang Qi." The several Palace Gentlemen guards leading Heifu inside hurriedly saluted this young officer, and Heifu immediately guessed his identity.

Inner Gentleman Commander of the Palace Front, Wang Li!

Grandson of Wu Cheng Marquis Wang Jian, son of Tong Wu Marquis Wang Ben!

This was a second-generation general born with a golden spoon in his mouth — no, rather, a third-generation general. When Heifu was in Nanchang, he had once discussed with Zhang Han which marquis title this son would inherit, his grandfather's or his father's, since the Wang clan held two marquisates.

Moreover, Wang Li had entered the palace as a Gentleman officer at only seventeen. Now, three years later, he had been promoted to Inner Gentleman Commandant of Cavalry. What Heifu had obtained through bitter struggle, Wang Li had gained with ease.

Heifu had once served under Wang Jian, and Wang Li would be his colleague in the future, so he dared not be negligent. Although as a modern man, he had long ceased to be amazed by tall buildings, he still pretended to look at the palace, wiping sweat, and said:

"It is indeed exceptionally towering, enough to make one gape! I only wonder what the Xianyang Palace north of the Wei is like, to have so frightened the Yan assassin Qin Wuyang that he couldn't move his legs..."

"He was a rustic barbarian from the borderlands, so of course he was like that," Wang Li said to the Gentlemen guards behind him, drawing a round of laughter from the group.

This remark seemed to carry a veiled barb, but Heifu simply pretended not to understand.

Wang Li did not continue to court a snub. Although he scorned Heifu's origins, this man had worked his way up to this position bit by bit through military merit. Even if he had benefited from a bit of luck during the deliberation on the imperial title, there was nothing one could say against it.

So he said, "The Inner Gentleman General knew that you would report after the cock's crow and told me to pay extra attention during my rounds. Since we've met, come with me to pay respects to the Inner Gentleman General!"

The Inner Gentleman General was none other than Meng Yi...

Heifu knew that at present, Qin had roughly two great military houses, Wang and Meng. The Wang clan held two marquisates, a status no one could match, while Meng Wu was only a Senior Minister, and Meng Tian had only just been reappointed to guard Dai Commandery and Yanmen, unable to compare with the Wangs.

"But as the saying goes, when things reach an extreme, they reverse; what flourishes to the utmost must decline. The Wangs have already reached the pinnacle of subjects. Old General Wang Jian has been recalled to Xianyang and left idle for a year. Although Wang Ben has been ordered to garrison the Qi region, I fear that cannot last long either. The Wangs can advance no further..."

As he pondered secretly, Heifu looked at the young general Wang Li ahead of him, brimming with pride and satisfaction. That he had reached such a position at such a young age was more due to Qin Shi Huang's special favor than to trust.

The Meng brothers, on the other hand, might be cultivated by Qin Shi Huang as a counterweight to the Wangs, with great room for future advancement.

And what's more, Wang Jian's grandson was now precisely Meng Yi's subordinate. Qin Shi Huang's personnel appointments were truly interesting.

On the way there, in the sporadic conversation with Wang Li, Heifu also learned that the Inner Gentlemen guarding the Forbidden Inner numbered no more than six hundred, and were further divided into three branches: Chariots, Cavalry, and Gates.

"So as this Inner Gentleman Director of the Gates, I actually only have two hundred men under me?" Heifu thought to himself.

However, these two hundred men were not to be underestimated. They were basically all selected from the sons of the Guanzhong nobility. Among them, those serving as Gentleman officers held at least the rank of Grand Master or Grandee of the Masses, and even the ordinary Gentlemen guards started at the rank of Grandee.

Moreover, the turnover of Gentleman officers was extremely fast. Generally, after serving as the emperor's personal guard for a few years, they were sent out to serve as officials. Once sent out, the lowest position was at least a County Commandant. Directors like Heifu and Wang Li — of the Gates and of Cavalry — could even become senior officials in a commandery. The previous Inner Gentleman Director of the Gates had been sent to Shanggu Commandery to serve as Commandery Commandant...

Furthermore, the three Inner Gentleman Directors were frequently assigned temporary missions: serving as envoys to other states and barbarian tribes, offering prayers to mountains and rivers on the king's behalf, accompanying Supervisory Censors to investigate major cases — they were practically decathletes.

Wang Li said, "A few days ago, the Inner Gentleman Director of Chariots was ordered by the king to go with the Minister of Ceremonies to the Yong region to pray at the temple of Duke Mu on the king's behalf, regarding Qin's unification of the realm and the assumption of the title of emperor."

He gave a mirthless smile and said, "Thus, I have been eagerly hoping the Inner Gentleman Director of the Gates would take up his post quickly, to share the duty of night guard rotations with me."

This was a polite remark, but Heifu detected not a shred of genuine feeling in it. Compared to his father and grandfather, Wang Li was still too green.

As they spoke, they arrived at the official bureau, which was actually just three rows of buildings in front of the main Zhangtai hall. The one sandwiched in the middle was the Inner Gentleman General's official residence. The daily night guard assignments for the three Directors — Gates, Cavalry, and Chariots — were announced here after the cock's crow.

After entering the gate and ascending into the hall, Heifu saw a tall and sturdy man sitting upright in the main seat. This man was around thirty, with a mustache above his lip, his features somewhat resembling Meng Wu. Judging by his attire and cap, and the tiger tally at his hand, it was undoubtedly Meng Yi.

However, Meng Yi's face was stern at the moment, and two Gentlemen guards were kneeling below the hall. It was unclear whether he was lecturing them or issuing orders.

"Reporting to the Inner Gentleman General, I have brought the Inner Gentleman Director of the Gates."

Wang Li ascended the hall and cupped his hands. Heifu also stepped forward, intending to greet Meng Yi, but unexpectedly, Meng Yi merely glanced at the two of them, nodded slightly, and gestured with his hand for them to wait. He then set his face sternly and said to the two Gentlemen guards below the hall, "You two — do you admit your guilt?!"

It seemed Meng Yi was busy and had no time to attend to them. Heifu didn't mind, but Wang Li's eyebrows rose, and a flash of anger appeared in his eyes...

(End of chapter)