The Warring States, Books 1-3

by Greg Strandberg

  “So we send more soldiers into Qi like Wen’s son said,” Lie said. “It’s a simple enough matter and we each have the manpower. I’d rather end this threat before it truly becomes one.”

  “With the proper forces I can assure you that the threat will be ended, and that Qi will always be a friend to the Three Jins,” Kang said.

  Wen nodded and rose once again. “There are many things that we cannot decide upon until we’ve spoken with King Weilie. Let us get some sleep. The sooner we reach Luoyang the sooner we put these problems behind us.”

  The others nodded and Wen walked off to stare at the river and to be alone with his thoughts.

  SIXTEEN

  Luoyang came startlingly into view. What the party first noticed was the sprawling wall, more than thirty feet high in most places, and circling the entirety of the city. The second thing to catch their attention was the wide arched-bridge that spanned the Luo River and led up to that wall at the main city gate. The thing that most captivated their attention, however, and the characteristic for which the city was named, was the way the sun shone down upon the city, the walls and buildings shining in its embrace. Luoyang had been constructed on the north side of the Luo River, which ran from west to east, so that the sun would always shine from its position south of the city directly down upon it. The effect had a tendency to take the breath away from any new and even quite a few already familiar visitors to the city, and Marquis Wen wasn’t immune.

  “I’ve been to the city nearly a dozen times over the years,” Wen said as he directed the chariot down the road running parallel to the Luo River, “and each time I’m struck by the majestic beauty of it.”

  “It is quite a sight,” Zhai agreed beside him. The Minister of War, most always thinking of offensive and defensive positions when encountering any new city, was instead thinking of what a shame it’d be if a battle was ever forced upon the grand city rising up before him.

  The six chariots of eighteen men had left their campsite beside the Yellow River several hours before dawn and continued to move southwest down the road to where the Yellow and Wei Rivers met just past the Han borderlands. Wen had been eager to move, and most shared his opinion; they woke with little difficulty and had been traveling for several hours before the first faint hints of the morning light began to crest the mountains in front of them. As they’d progressed the road began to bend more and more to the west and away from the south until they met up with the Luo River. From there it had only been a journey of a couple hours to the Zhou capital.

  “We’ll be just in time for lunch,” Wen said as he slowed the chariot. The large arched bridge was drawing near, its white stone and marble surface shimmering in the noontime sun.

  “I can already smell the stoves of the city preparing our noon meal,” Zhai replied.

  Wen slowed even further, for there was a sizable amount of traffic moving across the bridge in both directions. Most was by foot, farmers and peasants bringing their fruits, vegetables, and grains into the city in large sacks slung over their backs. A few wagons fought for space on the crowded bridge, their single mule or ox driven carts containing everything from food to hay to stones for building. Although wide enough for two four-horse drawn chariots to ride across abreast, the bridge was currently full. The sound of Wen’s chariot, and the five others behind him, slowed many of the people on the bridge, and caused many to come to a complete stop to turn and look at the men. Wen pulled further on the reins but didn’t bring the chariot to a stop, instead cracking his whip loudly to the side. The sound caused the people on the road leading to the bridge to move out of the way, and within a few moments a clear path had been formed all the way across. Wen snapped the reins over the horse and the chariot’s wheels were soon clattering atop the stone bridge, the Luo River churning noisily below.

  Most of the people crossing the bridge continued on right through the wide-open city gates and into the streets beyond, but Wen pulled up on the reins, this time bringing the chariot to a complete stop as he reached the gates. Two men, the tight-fitting leather jerkins they wore over their flowing robes more than adequate to block the flight of an arrow or minimize the damage from a sword thrust, had stepped away from the wall upon sight of the chariots and now proceeded over to Wen.

  “I’ve come seeking an audience with King Weilie!” Wen called out before the two men even reached him, and loud enough for those peasants near enough to overhear. Already a sizable crowd was forming, curious as to the richly attired men that rode on the lead chariots.

  “And who might you be?” the first guard asked without much interest.

  “Marquis Wen of Wei,” Wen said loudly so that all around could hear. He put up his arm and motioned toward Kang beside him. “And beside me rides Duke Kang of Qi. With us are Marquis Lie of Zhao and Marquis Jing of Han.”

  The guard moved his eyes from Wen to the men he was motioning to while reciting the names, and his eyes visibly grew larger as it became obvious that four of the Seven States’ leaders were in front of him. He waved his arm behind him for the other guard to come up and then whispered a few words into his ear. The man immediately rushed back through the gate and disappeared into the city.

  “Wen of Wei,” the man began in a more respectful tone, “we’ve not been expecting you.”

  Wen nodded but said nothing as the man stammered on.

  “Please allow us a few minutes to notify the palace of your arrival and…to arrange a proper escort through the city.”

  Wen nodded again and stared past the man into the city beyond the gate. He wasn’t surprised that he hadn’t been addressed as ‘Marquis Wen’ by the man, for he was no longer in Wei, and therefore could not rightly claim a title that he’d never been officially granted, no matter that nearly all in the Seven States had been calling him just that for twenty-five years. But then this wasn’t the Seven States, Wen reminded himself as he waited as patiently as he could for the escort to appear, this was Luoyang: the enclave of kings, separate from the Seven States which they presided over, and the bearer of the Mandate of Heaven, the distinction of Shangdi, ruler of the world.

  Wen scoffed at the notion, and Zhai, mistaking Wen’s action as impatience, tried to console his ruler.

  “I don’t see why they’re making us wait,” Zhai said. “It’s obvious that we’re not peasant rabble.”

  Wen said nothing, his thoughts still on King Weilie and the power the man held. Despite being older than Wen, King Weilie still doggedly held to his throne and directed the affairs of the Seven States from the safety and security of his ornate throne room in the palace just a few minute’s ride away. Wen doubted the man had been out of the palace much in the past few years, and probably hadn’t left Luoyang in nearly a decade. Still, the man would be well-informed of the affairs of the dukes and marquis’ that ruled with his blessing throughout the land. Wen doubted that there was much that didn’t come to his attention, however minor or seemingly inconsequential, and for a brief instant Wen felt a shiver of trepidation pass through him. Could it be possible that King Weilie already knew of Tai of Tian’s death? No, Wen immediately concluded with a shake of his head, and quickly dismissed the thoughts as the second guard came back into view, riding through the gate on a gray horse with five other men similarly mounted riding behind him.

  By this time all traffic had stopped moving through the gates and a large crowd of peasants and farmers stood looking on. They quickly moved back as the six horses rode up to the six waiting chariots that stretched in a line all the way back to the bridge.

  “The escort will ensure that the path remains clear for you all the way to the palace,” the guard said with a final bow before stepping back away from Wen and the chariot.

  A moment later the lead horseman nodded at his companions and spun his mount around, digging his heels into the animal’s flank. In an instant he was through the gate, the other five close behind, and Wen cracked his own reins, bringing his chariot into motion once again. The peasants c
rowded back and within moments Wen was no longer on the hard packed dirt of the roads he’d traveled for the past several days, but on the smooth stones of Luoyang’s paved streets. The horse’s hooves clattered on the stones, but the normally loud sound was completely drowned out by the sound of the chariot’s wheels as they turned over the stones and bumped from one to the next, the line of chariots soon adding their accompanying cacophony as each passed under the gates and into the city.

  Most of the buildings that they passed by were constructed from stone or wood, although a few further back on the side streets were made from bamboo. Once through the gates of the city they came into a large open area, oval in shape, and stretching for dozens of yards in each direction. It was obviously a market area, for stalls and stands stood about everywhere, crowding the wide street and casting a rainbow of color out from the myriad fruits, vegetables, and grains which seemed to cover each available space. Equally colorful were the vendors who called out their wares to the people passing by, their robes colored and dyed every conceivable shade from the dullest to the brightest. Much to Wen’s surprise, business did not stop as he and his entourage rode into the city. Obviously Luoyang was used to such sights, and Wen wondered to himself how often various dukes and marquis’ were summoned for, or sought out, an audience with King Weilie.

  Within a few minutes they were out of the crowded market streets and soon passing next to a canal which ran through the city. Wen stared down at it and thought of Ximen Bao. While canals were nothing new in cities, their construction having been going on for hundreds of years now, the project which Ximen was working on to the north would be something new, its completion hopefully shifting the balance of power even further to Wei’s favor for whichever ruler was lucky enough to reign when it was finally completed. Wen sighed as he drew his gaze away from the canal and back to the street; not everything could be accomplished in his lifetime, he realized, and although he’d accepted that fact many years before, as all rulers must at some point, he didn’t like it any more because of it.

  The houses and buildings grew further and further away from the street as they continued on deeper into the city until finally large parks of trees and small canal-fed lakes sprung up on either side of them. The blue sky was quickly obscured by the branches of willows, elms, and pines that grew along the street, their high branches stretching out overhead to cast the sunlight into narrow beams.

  Wen glanced over at Kang, but the Duke was staring off at the scenery around them, and Wen wondered if the man felt at all anxious about the coming meeting with King Weilie. Kang’s father, Duke Xuan, had been good friends with King Weilie, and Wen couldn’t help but think that that relationship would influence the coming meeting. King Weilie would always favor Qi over other states because of that past friendship, which was why it was good, Wen told himself, that he was riding next to Duke Kang and not Tai Tian. Still, Wen had no doubt that King Weilie knew of his support of House Tian over House Jiang in the struggles within Qi, but all he could do was hope that having Kang beside him now would lessen any problems that may cause.

  A few more turns brought them onto a straight thoroughfare paralleled by two canals on either side, and Wen smiled slightly to himself. They’d entered onto the final stretch to the palace, and already he could see the wide moat that surrounded the grand home of the Zhou kings.

  The riders ahead of them slowed their mounts and a moment later the trees that had lined the wide boulevard gave way, and all at once the blue sky was overhead again, the sun shining down brightly. The two canals turned away from the road and flowed into the large moat while the street came to an end at a large white marbled bridge. The riders ahead of them slowed further as they reached the bridge, and the clatter of their horse’s hooves changed in pitch as they rode over it. Wen too pulled up on his reins so that the chariot was moving only slightly faster than a brisk walk. Despite having seen it many times before, Wen couldn’t help staring up at the palace once again in wide-eyed amazement.

  Walled-off from the city by a stone perimeter that rose nearly twenty feet, the palace was almost a separate entity from Luoyang entirely. A large wooden gate stood open across the bridge, several armed guards standing sentry out front. The horseman-escort rode up to the gates and barely slowed as they waved at the men standing by. Wen drove the chariot right through behind them, the guards giving him only a casual glance as they watched the vehicles enter the palace grounds.

  Inside the gate the horsemen came to a stop in a large square courtyard, the center of which was dominated by a large fountain, its flowing water audible over the tumult of the chariots. The lead man motioned for Wen to steer his chariot to the back of the square where already many men were appearing from the nearby buildings to take charge of them. Wen did as he was directed and as he came to a stop a young man came up and took the reins of the chariot from him. Wen, Zhai, and Kang stepped off the chariot platform and stood to watch the rest of their entourage come into the palace.

  It took only a minute for the other five to gather and they easily managed to crowd into the courtyard. Lie and Jing both walked over to Wen, but before either could say anything the guard from the city gates walked up to them.

  “Sirs, if you will follow me this way, I will show you inside the palace where King Weilie’s advisor, Tan Zhou, will see that you’re taken care of.”

  The man turned on his heel without waiting for an answer and began walking across the courtyard toward the wide, slanting staircase opposite the palace gates. Wen shrugged his shoulders at the man’s actions and fell in line behind him, knowing full-well that if he’d been treated with such insolence by anyone other than a Zhou retainer the man would already be dead.

  Ahead of them stood a man with long, flowing robes of dark yellow, his hair pulled back, and a smile on his face. Their guard escort stopped short of him and turned to walk back down the steps.

  “Duke Kang, Marquis Wen, Marquis Lie, Marquis Jing. Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Tan Zhou, advisor to King Weilie, and will see you to your quarters for your stay here in Luoyang.”

  The men nodded but said nothing and a moment later Tan turned and began walking up the remaining steps. They followed a few paces behind, the only sound the many feet of their various entourages.

  Atop the staircase were more fountains and several gardens. Pathways wound through them and Tan took one leading to the left, a stone walkway which led through the trees and to a series of stone and wooden buildings set amongst them. He paused when he reached the first building and turned back to the two men.

  “This first building will house you and your men, Marquis Wen,” he said deferentially and with a smile. “I think you’ll find it quite adequate, and there’ll always be servants about who will see to any needs you might have.”

  “King Weilie’s hospitality is greatly appreciated,” Wen said.

  Tan bowed his head at the compliment.

  “Rest and recover from your many days on the road,” Tan continued. “At dusk King Weilie will call all of his guests to the inner palace.”

  “We will eagerly await that time,” Wen replied, and Tan bowed again before turning to continue on down the walkway.

  “Until this evening then, Wen,” Jing said as he turned to move off.

  Wen nodded his head and stood silently as Lie and Jing and then their men went by. Zhai came to stand beside him when they’d all passed.

  “Well, what do you think?” he asked, both men still staring after the group which had now stopped outside of the buildings next to theirs.

  Zhai nodded and the two watched as Marquis Lie and his men and then Marquis Jing and his disappeared into their own buildings further down the pathway, Duke Kang continuing on with Tan.

  “Well,” Marquis Wen began, “let us get inside and wash the dust of the road from us. We have an important night ahead of us, perhaps the most important of my entire reign.”

  Wen held up his arm for Zhai, Wu, Liu, and Wei to enter the buil
dings ahead of him, and then continued to wait, turning back to look out at the gardens and fountains around him, wondering what the night held in store.

  SEVENTEEN

  Marquis Wen and the others spent the afternoon bathing and preparing the clothes they’d wear that evening. Shortly after their arrival the palace servants brought them steaming pots of rice, fish, and vegetables, and they dined in the common room of their building, a beautifully-tiled room large enough to accommodate a group twice their size. Afterward, when the dishes had been cleared away and the room cleaned, masseurs entered and gave each of them an hour-long massage. Their aches and pains melted away under the skilled hands of the women, and each man felt refreshed and rejuvenated when they’d left. Dusk was only a few hours away by that point, so Wen called together Wu, Zhai, Liu, and Wei and ushered them into one of the smaller dining rooms near the back of the building.

  The room Wen selected wasn’t large, dominated as it was by a sizable table in its center, with two smaller tables set against the far wall, but it was adequate. Wen had viewed all the others and selected this room primarily because it was the only one that didn’t have a window. He wanted to ensure his conversations with his advisors weren’t overheard by any of Lie or Jing’s men.

  “I do believe that’s the fist time I’ve seen a woman, besides a common peasant of course, since we left Anyi more than a month ago,” Zhai said when they’d all entered the room.

  “That is much too long,” Liu said as he pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. He gently touched Wei’s arm and motioned toward the pot of tea sitting on one of the smaller tables against the wall, and his apprentice quickly moved over to it.

  Liu looked back at Wen. “No doubt the deft handling you received from those women has stirred your blood.”

  Wen laughed at Liu’s words, and even Zhai chuckled for a few moments.

  “They most certainly got my blood flowing, and not exactly where I needed it to be if I want to keep my mind on this evening’s meeting.”