Chapter 479: Three Feet of Ice Did Not Form in a Single Day

"Last year, when we held the victory parade in the northern outskirts of Xianyang, Martial Marquis Wang still looked so vigorous and hale. Who could have guessed he would pass away just like that."

After leaving Wang Ben's residence, now draped in black and white mourning cloth, Gong Ao felt somewhat dejected. Although he had always been proud, he deeply admired General Wang Jian, that old general with a record of illustrious military achievements.

He still remembered the first time he saw the old general, seven or eight years ago, on the front lines where Qin and Chu were at war. The Qin army had built high ramparts and dragged the Chu army on for several months. Bored and itching for action, Heifu had crafted an oval soldier's ball and led them in chasing and competing across the grassy field, sweating it out. For a time, the game swept through the entire army.

At the time, Wang Jian came to watch several matches and praised them, saying, "These soldiers are ready to be used."

At first, Gong Ao did not understand why the Qin army had stalled for so long. Only when the Chu army withdrew and they suddenly advanced with the whole army, routing them utterly, did it dawn on him—this had been the old general's stratagem all along.

His incomprehension turned into admiration.

Wang Jian—he was a marshal who won every battle and conquered every fortress. Back then, among the six hundred thousand Qin troops, nearly every man had heard his name. Now, hearing of his passing, Gong Ao was suddenly filled with the melancholy of a hero's twilight.

Sighing, the straightforward Gong Ao went over to Heifu's carriage to console him: "My lord often says that you learned the art of war from the old general. Now that the departed is gone, I hope my lord will not grieve too deeply."

Earlier, in front of Wang Ben, Heifu had shed tears on the spot—half performance, half genuine sorrow. Even as he wept, he had said, "Martial Marquis Wang was the master who taught me military strategy, and the matchmaker who arranged my marriage. By sentiment and by principle, I must wear mourning as a disciple and observe a half-month fast in sacrifice to him!"

And now, he did indeed wear a mourning cloth on his arm. Sitting in the carriage, he stared blankly at the frost-covered fields and hamlets lining the road. Seeing Gong Ao come to console him, he said, "The grieving has passed. Now, I feel gratified on the old general's behalf."

Gong Ao asked, puzzled, "What is there to feel gratified about?"

Heifu said, "The old general passed away near seventy, without illness or pain. How many under heaven can hope for such a thing? That is the first reason."

"Second, General Wang destroyed the three states of Yan, Zhao, and Chu, rendering great service to Great Qin and to this long-warring world. His deeds will not be forgotten with time, enduring for a thousand ages. Before his death, he was enfeoffed as a marquis and appointed general; after death, he will be enshrined in the Temple of Meritorious Ministers, standing alongside Lord Wu'an, Bai Qi. One can say he won renown both in life and after."

Later ages often speak of the Four Great Generals of the Warring States, generally holding that Bai Qi, Li Mu, Wang Jian, and Lian Po were the finest in warfare. Yet Li Mu, Lian Po, and Bai Qi—regardless of their merits on the battlefield—none of the three met a good end.

"A common saying goes: a foot is sometimes too short, an inch sometimes too long. Bai Qi assessed the enemy and adapted with endless stratagems; his fame shook the world. Yet he could not save himself from disaster at the hands of Marquis Ying and ultimately ended up cutting his own throat at Du Pavilion. But the old general, as a Qin commander, leveled the six states. Every move he made ensured victory, placing him in an invincible position, and he was treated as a teacher by His Majesty, beginning well and ending well."

This was especially difficult, requiring tacit understanding, trust, and tolerance between ruler and minister.

"Third, His Majesty mourned him and richly rewarded the Wang clan, promoting his son, General Wang Ben, from Marquis Within the Passes to Martial-Through Marquis, and permitting him to return to Xianyang for the funeral. His grandson, Wang Li, may also directly inherit the title of Martial Marquis. The Wang clan remains one family with two marquises—and both full marquises at that—more honored than before. Add to that the fields and residences the old general was granted, and his descendants can enjoy wealth and rank without end."

After Heifu finished, he asked Gong Ao, "If, when you die, you had these three things, would you still have regrets?"

"Huh... You're right."

Gong Ao scratched his head. "The way my lord puts it, I'm starting to feel happy for the old general too. But things like being enfeoffed as a marquis and leaving a name in history—those are for people like the old general and the Junior Chief of Works. I wouldn't dare dream of such things."

"What is there to not dare dream of?"

Heifu, however, said, "Many years ago, in Anlu, I said something to Li Xian, Dongmen Bao, Xiao Tao, Ji Ying, and the others: Are dukes, marquises, generals, and ministers born from certain seeds? Didn't the old general also rise step by step from the ranks? You were not there then, but I now give these same words to you!"

The famous generals of the Warring States were bowing out one by one; this was the end of an era. But as those who came after, they could not lose to them!

Having said this, he let Gong Ao ponder it on his own, while Heifu thought to himself:

"Wang Ben is returning to Xianyang for the funeral this time. It will be at least three or four months before he comes back to Qi. Although he has handed military command of the garrison to his deputy and plans to increase the garrison's numbers, without Wang Ben—that mountain the people of Qi so feared—the various forces across the four commanderies of Qi, suppressed for so long, will likely seize the chance to catch their breath and stretch their limbs a bit."

As had been said before, the Qin dynasty's rule over Qi was as unreliable as duckweed.

Wang Ben's departure might indirectly cause the difficulty of Heifu governing Jiaodong Commandery to jump straight from "hard" to "hell"—and Iron Man mode at that, with no save function...

"Governing Jiaodong is even harder than fighting the Xiongnu."

Heifu grumbled inwardly. Back in Xianyang, he had heard that over the past few years, the Commandant of Jiaodong had to rely on powerful local clans like the Tian to govern the region. Moreover, those harboring resentment against Qin often fled overseas, seeking refuge with a Yi chieftain called "Lord of the Blue Sea," turning that place into a stronghold where anti-Qin forces gathered, such that pirate raids along the coast never ceased.

And within Jiaodong Commandery itself, Confucian scholars, alchemists, and the like were active everywhere—how should he deal with them?

Three feet of ice did not form in a single day. The First Emperor arranging for him to come here was probably not just for the coastal inspection tour a few months from now, but also carried the intent of testing him, wasn't it?

Therefore, before entering Jiaodong, Heifu had to use the intelligence gathered over these past months to make a judgment:

Who would be your enemies? Who would be your friends? On whom would your governance rely to sustain itself?

And there was one more matter of utmost importance.

"In a few more months, when the First Emperor tours the east and arrives in Jiaodong, what does he want to see, and what should I let him see?"

Bearing this heavy pressure and facing the challenges ahead, Heifu dared not linger in his remembrance of Wang Jian. After leaving Linzi and crossing the Zi River, they quickened their pace. In just a few days, they reached the border of Jiaodong Commandery...

According to Qin bureaucratic protocol, when a two-thousand-bushel official took up his post, the commandery and county clerks were to welcome him at the commandery border. Heifu had just arrived at the Wei River when he saw, on the opposite bank of the frozen river, the chilly evening wind sweeping through the wilds, dead trees rustling.

Yet at the frozen ferry station, a dark mass of officials could still be seen, craning their necks in anticipation. Seeing the convoy arrive, they hastily cupped their hands in salute from across the river, then carefully crossed over to pay their respects to Heifu.

It was the last ten days of the twelfth month, the coldest time of the year. The river was frozen solid, impassable by boat. Heifu noticed that the several officials coming over were actually being carried across the ice on people's backs...

He frowned slightly, but once they came ashore, he let it pass. The man who presented his official seal and introduced himself as the Magistrate of Chunyu County was already over fifty, with a long beard.

Ah, in the Qin dynasty, this was a man already half in the grave. Be considerate.

The Chunyu Magistrate, for his part, was astonished by Heifu's youth and hesitated, not daring to bow lightly.

Heifu had Chen Ping inspect the other party's official seal, while also showing them the tally proving their own identity. Only after confirming each other's identities did he nod and say, "Magistrate of Chunyu, judging by your accent, you are from Weinan, aren't you?"

Only then did the Chunyu Magistrate believe that the young man before him was indeed his direct superior. Hastily cupping his hands, he said, "How does the Commandery Lord know that this humble official is precisely from Weinan?"

Heifu said, "Years ago, by His Majesty's order, I made paper in Weinan and lived there for a time, hence I know."

The Chunyu Magistrate then explained that carriages carrying people might be too heavy; they would have to disembark to cross the river safely. They could have someone come and carry the Commandery Overseer across.

The men sent to carry them were several dark-skinned porter soldiers, likely locals. They wore their hair in mallet-shaped buns, their clothes thin, lips pressed tight. Their gazes toward Heifu were curious yet fearful, but the moment Heifu looked back, they timidly averted their eyes.

"No need."

Heifu refused, smiling. "I am still in my prime, a seven-foot man who walked the windblown snows and deserts beyond the frontier as if on level ground, let alone a frozen river. Since the ice is thick enough to walk on, we shall simply walk across."

He remembered that in later ages, some officials on rural visits, when encountering flooded roads or small streams, would have locals carry them across. Photos taken and uploaded online had turned into scandals—it really was rather unsightly. The Chunyu Magistrate was old, after all; he did not want to do the same.

At this, the Chunyu Magistrate could hardly have himself carried either. He could only steel himself and have the locals lead the way. They were minor ferry clerks and fishermen of the area, who spent years on the river and knew the thickness of the Wei River ice after winter set in like the back of their hands. As they walked, they probed the ice's solidity with wooden staves; only when they waved could those behind follow.

Stepping onto the frozen river surface, the Chunyu Magistrate's shoes slipped a little, and he shivered from the cold. Seeing Heifu and his entourage beside him walking as if on level ground, their footwear strange, he could not help but be amazed.

Heifu explained, "The Northern Lands and Helan are even colder than Jiaodong. Snow flies in the ninth month, and during the deepest winter, the great rivers freeze over, only thawing at the start of spring. We've had plenty of experience traveling back and forth on frozen rivers. So I had craftsmen make these snow boots. Wrapped in sheepskin, they are extremely warm, and the soles are carved with treads, so they don't slip."

"So that's how it is."

The Chunyu Magistrate sized up the visitors' woolen coats, the dog-fur hats on their heads, and the snow boots—this was the Northern Lands winter three-piece set Heifu had cobbled together, which had already become standard issue for the officers and soldiers of the Northern Lands.

When they reached the middle of the river, with every step, they seemed to hear a crackling sound coming from beneath their feet, making their hearts race.

They slowed their pace even further. Heifu looked at this great river, over two hundred paces wide. "Does this Wei River freeze over every year?"

The Chunyu Magistrate said, "In the several years this humble official has served here, it freezes over roughly every other year. It ices over in the middle of the twelfth month and thaws in the first ten days of the third month. This year's winter is colder than usual."

Heifu thought to himself, "It's only been frozen for half a month or so; it seems it isn't frozen very solid... No wonder it can't bear carts and horses."

The Magistrate of Chunyu County was quite bold: "With a local fisherman guiding the way, rest assured, my lady. Just now he carried this humble official across the river on his back — did anything go wrong?"

As he spoke, the local man scouting ahead stopped and began shouting something loudly in the Jiaodong dialect.

Heifu noticed that the Magistrate of Chunyu County, despite having been stationed here for several years, still wore a blank expression when the locals spoke and actually needed a minor clerk to translate. His estimation of the man dropped a few more notches.

"My lady, the scout says the ice where we passed earlier has some cracks — it's not safe. We need to shift to the right."

So the party veered right and walked another twenty-odd paces, but then Gong Ao shouted for them to halt!

The Magistrate of Chunyu County was baffled, but Heifu grew stern. Ten paces ahead of them were the three locals. Five paces behind them were Gong Ao and four retainer guards. Gong Ao had already drawn the sword at his waist and was loudly urging Heifu to fall back, while simultaneously questioning the men ahead:

"This ice is getting thinner and thinner. Your father here has rolled around in the ice and snow of the northern frontier — you think you can fool me?"

The three locals ahead exchanged glances, realizing they had been exposed. They threw caution to the wind, raised their clubs and staffs, and charged at Gong Ao and the others — but their target was Heifu behind them!

The three shouted unfamiliar Jiaodong dialect, but this time, Heifu felt he understood.

"Kill the Qin (qing) official (lv)!"

PS: I wasn't planning to write tonight, but then I suddenly remembered there must be plenty of single-dog readers feeling lonely late at night, so just when you thought there'd be no update, I updated... Just kidding, happy Qixi everyone... Wait, I should be asking — is everyone happy on Qixi?

(End of chapter)