“Perhaps I’m just experiencing a bit of indigestion,” Wen said with a smile.
“I’m having the same problem,” Marquis Jing said quietly, having overheard the exchange between father and son. “My simple tastes aren’t quite in line with all the luxurious foods we’ve been served here tonight.”
Wen smiled and nodded, but in reality he was concerned. He’d first felt the pain in his shoulder when he’d risen from the table and shouted at Kang just before King Weilie had arrived. The pain had been short and sharp then, but his anger had overrode it. He’d forgotten it entirely when the King had appeared, but now the memory came back to him. Perhaps it was all that he’d been through in the past two months, he thought to himself, and gave a slight nod. He’d been traveling the length and breadth of the Seven States, something that would tire a man half his age. What he needed was a good, long rest back at the palace in Anyi. That was it, he decided. Once the peace agreements were drawn up, something that he expected either tomorrow or the next day, and all of the rulers had affixed their seal, he would depart Luoyang for Anyi.
He glanced over to see that Wu was still throwing concerned glances his way. He smiled and then pushed himself up from the table.
“Gentlemen,” he said when he was fully standing, “it has been a long and eventful evening, one that I have awaited for my whole life, and one that has left me quite drained.” The men around the table chuckled and nodded their heads as they voiced their agreement. “With any luck we’ll putting the words we pledged here tonight down onto the scrolls this time tomorrow. Until that time, I bid you goodnight.”
He gave a slight bow and all of the men around the table rose from their chairs and raised their glasses up. Wen bowed again and left the table, Wu right behind him. When they’d left the room and were walking down the hallway, Wu put his arm on Wen’s shoulder.
“Are you truly alright, father? You didn’t look at all well back there.”
“I’m fine. It’s nothing more than too much excitement in one evening.”
Wu nodded, but he wasn’t so sure. He’d seen the pinch of pain on his father’s features when he’d yelled at Kang, and then again just a few moments before at the table.
“I’d like to call in one of the palace physicians,” Wu said as they walked.
“Nonsense!” Wen said sharply. “I’m perfectly alright, just tired is all.”
“At least let me send in Liu,” Wu pressed. “He can give you something for your indigestion, and I know you want to tell him of what’s happened tonight.”
“I’m sure that Liu already knows every word of what was said tonight,” Wen said with a chuckle. “No, all I need is a good night’s rest and I’ll be ready to take on the world tomorrow.”
“We’ve agreed that we won’t be taking on the world anymore,” Wu said soberly.
Wen stopped and turned a puzzled expression on Wu, then broke into a deep and heartfelt laugh. Wu, happy that his father did indeed seem alright and still had his sense of humor, clapped him lightly on the shoulder as they began walking once again.
“Get some rest father; we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow.”
“And the day after as well,” Wen said, becoming serious once again. “If King Weilie draws up the scrolls tomorrow then I mean for us to be on our way back to Anyi the day after. I’ve been away from the capital for too long.”
Wu nodded. “It’ll be nice to be back home.”
They reached the doors that led out into the gardens and found the pathway that led to their compound. Wu turned onto it but Wen stopped him short by placing his hand on his shoulder.
“Now, let an old man walk alone for a bit with just his thoughts,” Wen said.
“Father, I’m not sure that would be-”
“Don’t tell me what would be a good idea or not,” Wen said, cutting Wu off. “The grounds of the palace are perfectly safe, and there are plenty of lanterns to light my way, as you can see,” he finished, raising his arm up to indicate the red lanterns hanging from many of the trees.
“Well, if you’re sure you’re alright.”
“I’m fine,” Wen said with exasperation.
“Well then, goodnight.”
“Goodnight,” Wen said, and he turned and began walking on one of the stone pathways that would lead him toward the many canals flowing through the palace.
Wu watched him walk until he was swallowed by the darkness of the night, then turned and headed back to their compound, the red lanterns lighting his way.
TWENTY-ONE
Wu awoke early, and with a sizable headache. He winced and rubbed at his temples, but the pain only seemed to increase. It was funny, he thought as he sat up in bed, for he’d only had a few cups of wine the previous night. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and picked out the dark grey robe that he’d been wearing the day before and which had been cleaned of the bull’s blood and brought to his room while they’d eaten. The sun shining in through the small window slit near the ceiling told him that it was very early, just past dawn, and that the majority of the palace would not yet be astir. Still, he doubted that his headache would allow him any more sleep, so he opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. He walked to the large common room and saw that a still-steaming pot of tea had been placed on the large table by the servants. He poured himself a cup and sat down, rubbing his head again in an attempt to ease the pounding he now felt.
He sipped his tea and heard another door open, and a moment later Liu and his apprentice Wei walk into the large room.
“Good morning,” Liu said when he saw Wu at the table. “Up early today.”
“A bit of a headache,” Wu admitted. “And I only had a few cups of wine last night.”
“Perhaps you didn’t eat enough,” Liu said before turning to Wei. “Fetch my herb sack from the room, will you Wei?”
Wei nodded and hurried back to the room as Liu sat down and poured himself a cup of tea, then another for Wei.
“What time did my father return last night?” Wu asked. Liu had been up when Wu returned from the dinner the night before, and he’d told his father’s advisor all that had happened during the feast. Liu had anticipated most of what’d transpired, but Wen had been wrong that the man would already know everything that had occurred. They’d sat up for nearly two hours, but Wen had never come in, so finally Wu had gone to bed.
“I stayed up another hour after you retired, but he never came in,” Liu admitted. “I see now that his door is closed, however, so I expect that he’s soundly asleep.”
“If he was out that late then he’ll need the rest,” Wu said. “It’s a bit odd, though – he was complaining how tired he felt. I thought that he’d take a short walk and then come in.”
Liu’s eyes narrowed in a look that Wu knew was one of concern, but then both of their attention was drawn to Wei as the younger man came back into the room bearing a large brown sack.
“Ah, here we are,” Liu said as he took the sack from Wei, “we’ll have that headache on the run in just a moment.”
He reached into the bag and moved his hand around as he muttered silently to himself. Finally he drew his hand back out and held up a large, thorny-looking twig.
“What’s that?” Wu said, not sure if he really wanted Liu’s help after all.
“Dragonroot,” Liu said. “This will have you feeling better in no time.”
“I think the headache isn’t that bad after all,” Wu said as he stared at the thorny root.
“Nonsense,” Liu said as he got up from the table and walked around to Wu. “We’ll just put this into your tea and you’ll drink it on down. You’ll be as fresh as a spring day in no time!”
Wu wasn’t so sure, but he let the older man break up the root and put it into his tea.
“Let it settle for a few minutes, then drink it all.”
Wu nodded and Liu sat back in his chair, a concerned expression coming to his face.
“I’ve known your father for many years, and s
een him stay up the whole night before. He’s always up with the dawn, or at least shortly after.”
“Should we check on him?” Wu asked, taking his eyes off the blackening tea in front of him.
Liu nodded. “It wouldn’t hurt to poke our heads in and check.”
Both men rose from the table and headed toward the hallway that led to Wen’s door, Wei close behind them. Liu reached the door first, glanced at Wu, then knocked lightly. After a few moments he knocked again, then pushed the door open and peered inside. He quickly drew back and pushed the door fully open.
“He’s not there,” he said in surprise.
“What?” Wu said, pushing past Liu to look for himself. The room was empty, the bed completely made, never having been slept in the night before.
“He never came back,” Wu said as he pushed past both men and rushed down the hallway. “Wake Zhai,” he called behind him as he rushed to the front door and threw it open, his headache forgotten.
Birds were chirping merrily in the trees of the gardens and faint shafts of sunlight were already filtering through the trees. On any other morning Wu would have been enchanted by the sight that met him, but on this day he barely registered it. He scanned the area around their compound quickly, but there was no sign of anyone about. He was just about to dash off down the stone pathway and toward the canals when he heard Zhai’s voice behind him.
“Wu, hold up a moment.”
Wu turned and looked back at the Minister of War, his long white hair uncombed and hanging down awkwardly past his shoulders.
“Let’s not get into a panic,” Zhai continued as he reached the door with Liu and Wei behind him. “Wen could have met up with some of the other rulers and accompanied them back to their compounds. He could be chatting with them still for all we know. After all, he’s not seen many of these men in years, and will most likely not see them again after the peace agreement is drawn up.”
Wu’s brow wrinkled in surprise. “You know of the pledge made last night?”
Zhai nodded. “I have my ways,” he said cryptically.
Wu gave a slight nod, not wanting to get into how the Minister of War had learned what he’d just now revealed. He turned back to the gardens outside the door and stepped out onto the stone pathway.
“I’d feel a lot better if we found out which ruler he joined last night, if he indeed joined any at all,” he said. “While what you say Zhai has some weight, I have a bad feeling myself.”
Zhai nodded, stepped out onto the pathway next to Wu, and put a reassuring hand on the younger man’s shoulder.
“I understand,” he said. “The four of us will walk the palace grounds. I doubt we’ll find him out, but there is a small chance.”
“And it will do a great deal to ease our worry,” Liu said as he stepped out behind them. “Wei and I will take the western paths; you and Zhai take the eastern. Work your way north and south and then double back. If there’s no sign of him, let’s meet near the Hall of Good Harvests.”
The others nodded and set out, Liu and Wei taking the stone pathway to the left, Zhai and Wu that to the right. After a few minutes the path diverged and Zhai took the rightmost leading south, Wu the other leading north.
After another minute Wu recognized the area he and his father had walked the night before and he was soon near the fork in the path where they’d parted. He quickened his pace and was soon nearing the canals, the large willow trees throwing down low branches that nearly brushed the ground. He looked all about him as he walked, and even called out in a low voice, “Wen, Wen,” as he walked, but there was no sign of his father. Finally he reached the large canal that marked the palace’s northern boundary. He was just about to cut across the grass and head west along it when he heard his name being shouted from the direction he’d come from.
“Wu! Wu!” someone yelled, and Wu looked back to see Wei running up the stone pathway toward him.
“What is it?” Wu said after dashing the last few yards that separated the two men. “Have you found him?”
Wei put his hands on his knees to steady himself as he tried to catch his breath. He looked up at Wu and nodded.
“I’m not sure. Liu rushed back and found me, told me to run and find you.”
Wu could tell from the worried look in Wei’s eyes that something wasn’t right. He didn’t wait for the man to explain further, however, before he set out at a fast run across the grassy grounds and along the canal, Wei, despite his earlier exertion in finding him, only a short distance behind.
It took several minutes before he neared the northwest portion of the long canal that flowed past the palace, but even before he reached that area he was looking off to the side as he ran. Soon he was in the vicinity and began calling out Liu’s name loudly, not caring who else heard or saw him. He began to grow frantic as he continued on along the canal with no sight of his father’s advisor, and grew even more so when he spotted the large stone wall that marked the northwest palace boundary. He was just about to turn and start heading south when he heard his name.
“Wu,” someone called faintly, “over here.”
Wu came to a sudden stop and tried to discern where the voice had come from.
“Over here, Wu,” the voice said again, which Wu could now recognize as Liu’s.
Wu looked south and saw Liu near a stand of willow trees a few dozen yards away. He started to run toward him but slowed after a dozen yards when he saw someone sitting up against one of the trees. He narrowed his eyes, trying to make out who it was, although deep down he knew it was his father, and he knew that something wasn’t right. He picked up his pace and was soon only a few yards from Liu. It was obvious to him when he came closer that his father was dead.
“I’m sorry, Wu,” Liu said as Wu took the last few steps toward his father’s lifeless body.
Wu bent down and peered into his father’s face. The eyes were still open, a strangely peaceful look in them, as they stared lifelessly toward the large canal. Wu looked down and saw that his father’s robes were ruffled, as if he’d struggled slightly.
“I’d say that he had a heart attack or a stroke,” Liu said as he bent down beside Wu. “It looks to me like he tried clutching at his chest just before he died.”
“He was complaining that he had some pain in his shoulder last night after dinner,” Wu said, still looking into his father’s eyes. “I told him he should consult you, but he said it was just some indigestion from all the different dishes and that I shouldn’t worry.”
Wu felt tears begin to fill his eyes and he had to put his hand up to stop one from falling.
“I completely forgot about it when I spoke with you last night,” he added. “If I would’ve remembered then you could have gone out looking for him.”
“He may already have been gone by that time,” Liu said as he put a comforting hand on Wu’s shoulder. “There’s little I could have done anyway – it was simply his time to go.”
Wu sniffled as he felt his nose begin to run. “He said last night that he’d gotten what he’d been waiting for his whole life – official recognition of Wei.”
“He died happy,” Liu said, and both nodded as they looked at Wen’s peaceful face.
“You’ve found him!” a yell came from behind them, and both men stood up quickly and looked to the south.
Zhai came running up but slowed then stopped when he saw Wen sitting up against the tree. His face took on a confused expression, then one of sorrow when he realized that his ruler was dead.
“Oh my,” he said quietly as he took the last few steps to stand next to Wu and Liu.
“He died peacefully, most likely his heart gave out,” Liu said.
“There are no signs of foul play?” Zhai asked, drawing both men’s eyes to him.
Liu shook his head. “It doesn’t appear that way.”
Wu wasn’t so sure, however, and looked up at his father’s Minister of War.
“He and Kang got into quite an argument at the banquet
last night just before King Weilie arrived,” Wu said. “And Kang left just minutes before we did.”
Zhai nodded slightly as he looked off into the distance. Wu rose to up in front of him, drawing his attention back.
“Do you think Kang could have had a hand in this, Zhai?”
Zhai looked from Wu to Wen then to Liu before shaking his head. “I don’t know.”
“There’s no indication of a struggle, at least not the kind I would expect Wen to have put up if he’d been attacked,” Liu said. “You saw how quickly he dispatched Tai Tian after all.”
“Look at his robes,” Wu said, pointing down at his father.
Liu shook his head. “If his heart gave out he very well could have thrashed around some. I think it’s premature to begin blaming Kang, or anyone else, at this time.”
“Might it possible that someone else could’ve seen something?” Wei asked from behind the three men.
“I don’t think so,” Liu said. “And if they had, and not been part of any kind of attack, then we would already have learned of Wen’s death by now. No, I think that it was age and the recent stresses that were the cause of death here.”
They lapsed into silence for a minute before Zhai shook his head and placed his hand on Wu’s shoulder.
“Sire, what would you have us do?”
Wu continued to stare down at his father for another moment before he realized that Zhai was addressing him. It suddenly dawned on him that he was now the Marquis of Wei, something that he’d dreamed about when he was younger, dreaded shortly thereafter, and had quietly come to accept years later. He never thought that his ascendancy to the throne would come about like this, however, and he wasn’t sure that he was truly ready to rule.
“Marquis Wu?” Liu asked softly, drawing Wu’s eyes from Zhai to him. “Perhaps we should notify the palace guards and attendants of what has occurred.”
Wu nodded, still in a daze from the sight of his father, but now increasingly more so from the position he now held and the great deal of responsibility that went with it. He drew himself up, wiped at his nose with the back of his sleeve, and took a step forward toward his father before turning to face the two men.
The Warring States, Books 1-3 Page 25
