Liu ignored Zhai, just as he’d ignored the two knocks on the door. He was bent over his table, a small candle burning next to him even though it was the middle of the afternoon. In his hand he held a small brush which he used to write slowly and carefully onto a scroll. Zhai, recognizing immediately that Liu was caught up in some form of correspondence, gently closed the door and moved to the side of the room to sit in a small chair against the wall, waiting.
Several minutes passed, the only sound the quiet brushstrokes on the scroll as Liu silently and slowly wrote out whatever it was that he deemed important enough to delay their return to Anyi. After staring out at the canal for nearly an hour after the signing of the peace agreement, Wu and Zhai had walked back to their compound in silence. Zhai was still shocked by Wu’s request to relieve General Wu Qi from command and Wu had been lost in his own thoughts. When they’d neared the compound a passing palace servant was instructed to ready their chariots, for they would be heading back to Anyi. Lunch was being served when they stepped into the common room, and while the meal was being laid out and Wu sat down to eat, Zhai went to inform Liu.
With a few final brushstrokes Liu finished his message and returned the brush to the ink pot. He leaned back in his chair, let out a deep breath, and then turned to regard Zhai.
“So you’re heading back to Anyi already,” he said as he stood up.
Zhai took pause at how Liu had phrased his comment.
“You’re not coming?” he asked slowly.
Liu stood up and walked to the bed where he rummaged through his already packed belongings, so few that they could easily fit into a small shoulder bag. Without answering he pulled out a heavy and worn book, its edges frayed and the once brown leather cover faded with age. He looked longingly at the book for several moments and ran his fingers affectionately across the cover before turning to Zhai.
“I want you to give this to Wei when you see him in Anyi,” Liu said, taking the few steps to Zhai and holding the book out to him.
Zhai narrowed his eyes and looked at the book. “Your Book of Law?” he said with surprise when he read the title. “You can give it to him yourself,” he protested, holding his hands up in front of him so as not to take the book.
Liu continued to hold it out to him. “I’ll not be returning to Wei.”
“And why not?” Zhai asked, disappointment in his voice, and a little anger as well. He stood up and Liu lowered the book to his side. “You’ve served Wei faithfully for nearly fifty years. You’re just going to walk away now that there’s a new ruler?”
Liu nodded, but said nothing as he continued to stare at Zhai.
Zhai threw his hands up in exasperation. “You’re making a big mistake; you know that, don’t you? Wu needs good counsel now more than anything.” He turned back to Liu, a pleading look in his eyes. “We can still help him make the right choices. We can still turn him into a strong ruler. There is time. The fears that Wen had for him don’t have to come about.”
Liu smiled slightly and turned back toward the table. He set the book down and picked up the scroll he’d finished, checked to make sure the last few lines were dry, then, satisfied they were, rolled it up. He took the candle from the table and tilted it so that wax began to spill down onto the table. He set the candle down then reached into his robes and pulled out a small seal. He dipped it into the wax puddle then, carefully putting he scroll onto the table, firmly pressed the seal into it. He held the scroll up in front of him, nodded in satisfaction at the wax seal, and then began to reach for the seal he’d set on the table. His hand stopped halfway to it, however, and he looked down at it. He shook his head slightly and dropped his hand to his side, leaving the seal on the table. Where he was going he wouldn’t need official seals.
“I want you to give this message to Wei when you give him the book,” Liu said as he turned around once more to face Zhai, the scroll and book in his hands. “Please deliver them to him personally. It’s the final favor I ask of you, Zhai.”
“And what will you do?” Zhai asked resignedly. He realized there were no words he could say to change Liu’s mind. “Where will you go?”
“I’ve not quite made up my mind,” Liu replied. “But I’m thinking about heading west, out of the Seven States completely.”
“How far will you go?”
“I’ve always been curious about the trade routes that move west, and the people that travel them,” Liu replied. “I think I’ll go west until I meet these people that send us such interesting and exotic goods.”
“That is a journey that could take years,” Zhai said, more concerned now with his friend’s safety than trying to argue with him to stay.
“Perhaps longer,” Liu said.
“The journey to Anyi is west,” Zhai said. “You could travel with us faster.”
Liu shook his head and smiled.
Zhai nodded and held out his hands for the book and scroll. Liu handed them to him then grabbed his pack from the bed.
“What will you say to Wu?”
“Is he in the common room?” Liu asked.
Zhai nodded. “He was just sitting down to lunch when I came to get you. He could still be there, although he could have also gone to the palace gates by now.”
“If he’s in the common room then I’ll explain myself to him,” Liu said, “but if he’s left already, I will not.”
“You’ll just leave him to the fates with no words of explanation?” Zhai asked.
Liu nodded. “I served his father more than I ever served the State of Wei. I never agreed to serve the son. We both know of the worries that Wen had, Zhai. He spoke of them many times, more so over the past few years. He knew deep down, even if he never came out and said it explicitly, that when his son, and his grandson after him, came to power, it would be the end of all that he’d worked to achieve.” He paused and gave Zhai a stern look. “You would do well to think about leaving as well.”
“Is that what you’re telling Wei?” Zhai asked, holding up the scroll. “To get out now while there’s still a chance?
“Among other things,” Liu answered.
Zhai nodded and Liu moved past him to the door. He opened it and held it for Zhai to go through first. Zhai nodded and went through, walking ahead of Liu to the common room, which was empty. Food was still on the table but there was an empty plate where Wu had been sitting when Zhai had last seen him.
“It looks like you won’t be speaking to him after all,” Zhai said as stared at the empty table.
Liu looked at the table for a moment then moved past Zhai to the door. He opened it and stepped out.
“Well, I guess this is goodbye,” Zhai said when he stepped through the door a moment later.
“That it is,” Liu said. He turned and clasped Zhai on the shoulder. “Take care of yourself, Zhai Huang.”
Zhai nodded. “You too, Liu Kui.”
Liu looked into Zhai’s eyes for a moment longer then turned and began walking down the stone pathway. Zhai stood watching him go until he’d disappeared into the trees.
Historical Note
The Warring States period was a time of much bloodshed and barbarity, but the period leading up to it, the Spring and Autumn Period, wasn’t. Much of the novel you just read is pretty civil, but the fighting really breaks out as the series continues. And all of it is based on fact.
Let’s start with the flooding of Zhongshan. That’s not true, but a city mentioned in the book, Jinyang, did have that happen about 50 years before, around 450 BC. Zhongshan was defeated and incorporated into Wei, and it did take a long time.
I understand that the names might be a little difficult for some, or at least keeping track of them. There’s the state of Wei and Wei Yang. There’s Wu Wei and Wu Qi, Zhai Huang and Zhai Jue. I’m sorry for this, but these are the actual names the men had more than two millennia ago.
Shangdi was the God that was worshipped at the time and the detailed descriptions of the temples come from actual temples in Beijing that were similarly c
onstructed. The ceremony involving the nine tripod cauldrons was also something that actually happened, although the sacrifice of the bull was my own.
Peace was agreed to many times during the Spring and Autumn Period and the years leading up the Warring States period. A peace was not signed by all Seven States, however, but the three main states in this book were elevated to the title of the Three Jins as depicted. Shortly after that things descended into open warfare.
The area to the north that’s referenced quite a bit in this book, the Xihe Prefecture, was an area that was fought over. Wei took it from Qin early in the Warring States period, and General Wu Qi was the administrator there. He was a capable general, taking the five cities that are talked about, and giving the State of Wei the strategic advantage of having a western border “in the passes.” This meant any attempt to invade would be nearly impossible.
General Wu Qi was a real person as well, and his story is chronicled in the second volume of the Warring States Series, The State of Chu.
The State of Chu: The Warring States Book 2
ONE
A blinding white light filled the sky. At nearly the same moment a deafening peal of thunder was heard. Sparks flew through the air and to the ground below as a large pine tree was struck and split completely down to its base.
“Run!” Wu yelled.
Wu jolted to his feet and pulled up Hai in the process. The two men bolted out from under the tree just as the large trunk split even further down the middle, the sound of the rain momentarily drowned out by the mighty tree splitting in two. They ran, but had chosen to do so in the wrong direction: that side of the tree was splitting off and beginning to fall, coming down right on top of them. Wu didn’t have to glance back to know they wouldn’t make it.
The sickening groan of the splitting trunk drowned out all other sounds as the two ran. The air started to rush up behind them and they could hear the tree falling faster. They both kept up their frantic pace, but it seemed to do no good. At the last moment, when the sound of the air was the loudest, Wu threw himself and Hai forward in a lunge, hoping to land clear of the tree. They were swatted like flies from the air by the heavy branches coming down and then pinned into the muddy ground as the tree came to rest on top of them.
Once again, the only sound was the falling rain, still coming down in torrents after more than three days. Wu gingerly opened his eyes and lay still for a moment. Heavy drops were smacking the mud around him. He didn’t dare move, although he could already tell that nothing was broken. He lifted his face from the mud as much as the heavy branches would allow and turned his head to the side. Hai was lying next to him, and not moving.
“Hai!” Wu shouted above the rain. “Hai!”
Next to him Hai stirred and Wu let out a deep sigh of relief, the fear that had been growing inside of him checked. Hai tried to push himself up but the branches held him firmly.
“I can’t move,” he said.
“We’ve been pinned down,” Wu replied, then swiveled his head to get a better look at their predicament. He could see that there were only a few feet of branches on either side of them, and a few more ahead. It looked like they’d managed to run most of the way out of the falling tree’s path, far enough to at least avoid the thickest section of trunk and the heavier limbs. “I think that I might be able to crawl to the side and get up,” he said after a few moments.
“Take your time,” Hai said. “I think this is the driest I’ve been in days.”
Wu inwardly chuckled to himself at his friend’s words and took strength from his good humor. Despite all that’d happened to them in the past month, Hai still managed to retain his sunny outlook.
Wu slowly pulled his arms down to his sides and began to push himself up with his hands. Even though they were near the top of the tree the weight was still enough that he couldn’t raise himself up. He pulled his arms back up ahead of him and clutched his hands tightly into the mud before pulling. His body moved forward a few inches, and he began to push with his feet as he pulled with his hands. He moved a few more inches and stopped, smiling to himself; even the forces of nature couldn’t stop him for long.
After turning his body so that he was pointing toward the side of the tree, Wu again began to push and pull in the mud. It took several minutes, but he finally made it to the edge of the tree. Moving his arms back down to his sides he again pushed up, this time coming up enough to get one leg up then the other. After that it was easy to push the remaining branches away and stand up.
The rain immediately began to wash the grey mud from his light brown robes and he tilted his head back for it to do the same for his face, opening his mouth to take a drink and spit. His topknot had come undone and his long black hair was plastered all over his face. He took a moment to brush it away and looked back at where their small camp had been. Part of the mighty pine they’d chosen earlier that afternoon still stood, although it looked very strange with branches only sticking out to one side. A white streak ran down one side of the trunk, where it ended in a scorched and blackened mark on the ground. The other half of the tree lay on the ground, stretching nearly fifty yards from its base, and ending just a few yards from where he now stood. Wu shook his head when he saw how far they’d run in mere seconds. Shangdi certainly was smiling down on them this day.
Wu walked around the top of the tree to the other side and grabbed a few of the thicker branches and began pulling up. There was a scrabbling from under the tree and a few moments later Hai appeared from beneath the upraised branches. He rose up once he was clear and Wu let the branches drop. Hai glanced at Wu, then back at their camp, running his eyes back along the fallen tree before letting out a low whistle.
“We got lucky there.”
Wu nodded. “Our first piece of luck in weeks.”
“That’s for sure,” Hai replied.
Hai’s hair was also in disarray, but he made no effort to remove the long strands from his face as he stared at the tree. He was younger than Wu, but not much, and age lines were beginning to show on his forehead and around his brown eyes. His light brown robes were as soaked and muddy as Wu’s, but he seemed to not mind.
Wu turned and started to walk back to the half of the tree that was still standing, Hai falling in behind him. “Let’s get our packs and be going,” he said when they reached their small campsite.
“Lighting will never strike twice in one spot,” Hai said behind him.
Wu looked up at the half-tree standing above them. “I’d rather not wait to find out.”
Hai shrugged and began gathering the kettle and cups that lay around the now extinguished fire while Wu picked up their packs.
“It’ll be dark soon,” Hai said as Wu handed him his pack and he began tying the kettle to it.
Wu nodded. “I don’t think we’ll find another tree as dry as this one was, but we’ll try.”
Hai walked to the base of the tree and retrieved his sword. Despite the lightning having split the tree in two, his and Wu’s swords were leaning against the side of the trunk still standing. He threw Wu his sword and then began to fasten his own to his waist.
“If we still had the horses we could have made it to the next town or village by now,” Hai said as he tied his sword to his waist, some of the water from his soaked robes squeezing out as he fastened it tightly.
“Well, there’s nothing we can do for that now,” Wu replied as he finished securing his own sword.
Hai was about to reply when he caught a stern look from Wu. He held his tongue and slung his quiver of arrows over his shoulder instead, doing the same with his bow a moment later. He looked up again at Wu and nodded. Wu turned and headed back out into the rain.
They walked in silence through the forest, the only sound the rain around them. Their silences had grown more frequent over the past week since they had lost the horses. Two lone men traveling alone could be dangerous, especially when they were obviously not peasants, and especially in a state like Zhao. They had learned
that the hard way, and now walked because of it. It was for that reason that they no longer traveled the roads, but kept to the forests and plains as much as possible.
Before, in the weeks after they had left the Wei Army camp outside of Xihe, Hai had spoken almost constantly, something that had grated on Wu at the time, but which he now realized the man had been doing only in an attempt to raise his spirits. Unfortunately the attempt had failed. Still, Wu was thankful for Hai’s regard, for he realized now that he’d needed his spirits raised. He still couldn’t believe he’d been relieved of command of his army, and then left the State of Wei for good. His decade’s long service apparently meant nothing to the new Marquis of Wei, Marquis Wu, a man that Wu had been friends with in his younger years, and also a man that had grown to hate him over time. Wu shook his head to expel the thoughts and trudged on.
After several minutes of walking Hai called out behind him and pointed ahead with his hand.
“That looks like a good one there.”
Wu followed Hai’s arm to a tall tree with outstretched branches.
“Looks like there’s even a few dry spots near the trunk,” Hai added.
“It’ll do,” Wu said as he started forward again.
They walked the few yards to the tree, neither in a rush, for they were both already soaked to the bone, and took off their packs when they got there.
“No use trying to build a fire again,” Hai said. “I’ll never find dry wood around here.”
Wu nodded. “We still have plenty of bread and cheese.”
Hai winced at the thought of another meal of the rock-hard bread and moldering cheese, but said nothing. In the next day, two at most, they would be out of the Zhao lands and could again travel the roads where inns were more frequent.
Wu took his pack off and sat down at the base of the tree before staring off into the distance. The General’s despondency had grown over the past week since they had lost their horses, and Hai quickly took out some bread and cheese and passed it to his former commander.
The Warring States, Books 1-3 Page 27
