The Warring States, Books 1-3

by Greg Strandberg

  Liu smiled at Wen’s words. “I’ve no doubt the women would have provided more than just a massage.”

  “Nor do I,” Wen said with another laugh. “But I’m not as young as I once was.” He turned to his son, who’d sat down at the table opposite him. “Wu, you on the other hand, would do well to release some of the tension that’s been bearing down on you since Zhongshan.”

  “Oh? I didn’t know that I was under a great deal of tension, father,” Wu said, taking a sip from the cup of tea that Wei had set down in front of him.

  Wen scoffed at his son’s words. “You’ve been wound up so tight since I sent Hui off that it’s a wonder your head’s not exploded!”

  “Hui should be with us here in Luoyang,” Wu said, a bit of an edge to his voice, “not slaving away on some canal under Ximen Bao. Hui will lead Wei one day, whether you like it or not, and he’d learn a great deal more by seeing the goings on at King Weilie’s court than he ever would by shoveling dirt along a river.”

  “The boy needs to think of the consequences of his actions,” Wen said coolly. “Who knows what shame he’d bring to Wei by being here in Luoyang.”

  “Perhaps he would do you great honor, father,” Wu said icily.

  Both stared daggers at one another over their cups of tea for a few moments before Liu took it upon himself to steer the conversation in a less argumentative direction.

  “Unlike Marquis’ Lie and Jing, Duke Kang is alone and has no other men with him,” Liu began. “As you all no doubt saw, he walked on with King Weilie’s man, Tan.”

  “No doubt to a private audience with King Weilie while we all sit here waiting,” Wu said.

  “He could’ve just been shown to his own private quarters,” Zhai offered.

  “Both are possibilities,” Wen said, “although I wouldn’t doubt, based on King Weilie’s relationship with Kang’s father, that the two have already met.”

  “Do you trust him?” Wu asked.

  Wen stroked his beard. “To tell King Weilie of my desire, along with Han and Zhao, to be proclaimed one of the Three Jins, yes. To push for the proclamation in light of our support of his enemy Tai Tian, no.”

  “Then what good is Kang to us?” Zhai asked. “At least Tai Tian promised his support. With Kang we have nothing.”

  “Not necessarily,” Wen replied. “Kang knows that he’s in a precarious position with regards to House Tian. He needs the support of Lie, Jing, and I if he wants to end that threat for good.”

  “He’s most likely trying to elicit that support from King Weilie right now,” Wu said.

  Zhai shook his head. “King Weilie doesn’t have the men. The Zhou kings have had to rely on the Seven States for years if they’ve ever wanted to wage war.”

  “That’s why they so rarely act at all anymore,” Liu said. “However, it doesn’t mean that he couldn’t ask for the support of some of the other states in regard to Qi’s problems; Chu to the south remains quite strong, after all.”

  “As does Wei,” Wei said quickly. “It’s well known that we’re one of the strongest states, a position we achieved rather quickly. And we’re here in Luoyang now. It would be easy for King Weilie to ask for our support, especially since we’ve already offered it to Duke Kang.”

  Liu smiled at his apprentice’s words. “Wei is right. We’re here, the others aren’t. And the death of Tai yesterday proves that we’re already willing to support Duke Kang.”

  “We shall know for sure this evening,” Wen said.

  A knock came at the door, and Wen nodded to Zhai to see who it was. Zhai rushed to the door and pulled it open a crack, then all the way. Outside stood one of the palace servants that had served them earlier.

  “Sirs,” the man said with a deep bow, “King Weilie has asked that you allow me to show you to where dinner will be served.”

  The men looked back to Wen, who nodded. “Show us the way,” he said to the servant, who gave another bow and then turned back toward the hallway.

  The men rose and fell in behind the man, who led them out of their quarters and into the cool night air. Yellow lanterns hung from the trees all about them, and right away they could see that Lie and Jing and their men were also gathering outside. The servant led them toward the two groups.

  “It seems we’ll be eating together once again,” Jing said when Wen and the others had all gathered together.

  “With the King too, I hope,” Wen answered.

  Jing nodded before the servants began ushering them further along the stone pathway. They wound through the lantern-lit trees until they came to a rather small and inauspicious building of stone with a bamboo roof. Large windows were open to the night sky and incense wafted about heavily in the air. The servants that had been leading the large group stopped at the entrance, opened the door, and held their arms out for the men to enter. Jing’s group was the first through, followed by Lie, with Wen and his men taking up the rear.

  Upon entering Wen was struck by the simple surroundings and by their host. King Weilie sat at a large table, Duke Kang on his left. When all the men had entered both men rose and King Weilie gestured for them to be seated around the large table. It was a tight fit, but within a few minutes all of them had found a spot and looked on expectantly at King Weilie.

  King Weilie of Zhou, the thirty-second man to carry that title, rose and placed his hand on Duke Kang’s shoulder, his rich purple robes shining in the lantern light. His hair was grey and his beard and mustache were white and thin. Deep lines of age were etched onto his weary face, and his eyes, although sunken deeply into his face, still held a humorous sparkle. Wen knew that the king’s mind was as quick as ever, but also that he was deeply concerned about the future and spent a large amount of time worrying about the son that would rule after him. Many thought that Prince An wasn’t quite made of the same stuff as his father, something Wen could identify with personally, and that the grasp of the Zhou King on the already independent Seven States would grow even more tenuous when he came to the throne. All knew King Weilie’s greatest desire therefore was for peace to continue to reign, for he knew full-well that the Zhou dynasty wouldn’t survive long if the Seven States decided to fight among themselves for supremacy.

  “Kang has told me of the events that occurred within Qi and on the border with Wei,” he said slowly and in a quiet voice, still standing in front of them. “He’s also told me of your desire to be proclaimed the Three Jins.” King Weilie looked around the table at Wen, Lie, and Jing as he said the last before continuing. “Kang agrees with that desire, and I’ve decided to listen to him and make it so.”

  Wen clenched his fist and tightened his jaw at that last, his heart beating rapidly. All his life he’d been waiting to hear those words from one of the Zhou Kings, and now he had.

  “The official proclamation will have to wait, however,” King Weilie continued, pausing again to look at the three men, and causing Wen’s heart to skip a beat, “until all the rulers of the Seven States can be summoned to hear the news.”

  The hush that had fallen over the table at King Weilie’s pause was broken by a few soft murmurings at the last comment.

  “I have sent word out to the rulers of Qin, Chu, and Yan and expect to receive word of their coming shortly,” King Weilie continued. “Until that time you shall be my guests.”

  The k moved out from in front of his chair and went around behind it, putting his hands on its back.

  “Now, gentlemen, if you will excuse me,” he said, “I’m an old man, and would like to get some rest. Please enjoy your dinner tonight and your time in Luoyang. I will see you again when all the rulers have assembled.”

  With that his servants rushed up and lent supporting hands as he left the table and then the room, heading out into the dark night.

  The room immediately erupted as the various advisors began talking quickly to their Marquis’s and each other.

  “A gathering of the Seven States hasn’t occurred since King Zhengding sat on the Zhou thro
ne,” Liu said above the chatter.

  “It was right after the Battle of Jinyang,” Wen said, “and I was there.” The table began to quiet down as the others around Wen heard him and craned their necks to listen. “It was a little more than fifty years ago, but I remember it vividly. Wei, Han, and Zhou, led then by Wei Huanzi, Han Kangzi, and Zhou Xiang, rode into Luoyang with their head’s held high. Zhou Xiang stood especially tall that day,” Wen said with a nod toward Lie, “as his city had withstood the siege engineered by Zhi Bo. Of the six elite families of Jin, or clans as we were then called, they were the only three remaining. Much to their surprise, however, the meeting that King Zhengding called was not so much about them, although they were formally recognized for the first time, but about maintaining peace. The Seven States, as we were just then beginning to be called, were not the only ones at that meeting, far from it. The number of lesser states dwarfed the seven that dominated the country, and their voice was still strong in King Zhengding’s ear. You see,” Wen said with a look at all around the table, each man thoroughly enrapt by his tale, “there was a widespread view at that time that any state could rise to dominance in the land. After all, three states had done just that, becoming even more powerful than the state they were actually a part of at the time, Jin. Other smaller states took hope from that, but also looked on the Seven with trepidation that bordered on fear. Each one of them knew that they could be the next to be gobbled up by their larger neighbors, and, as history has shown over the past fifty years, that’s exactly what has happened. Of the more than three dozen smaller states that attended that meeting here in Luoyang so long ago, less than a dozen remain, and those only because they lie far enough out of the Seven States’ reach,” Wen paused and peered around the table at the men before breaking out into a knowing smile, “for now.”

  The others around the table broke into smiles as well, even Lie, and much of the tension that had been noticeable when they’d entered seemed to have vanished.

  “The problems that seem to be confronting the Seven States now,” Kang said, bringing quiet around the table once again, “are not coming from smaller states, but from these so-called elite families that reside within the Seven.”

  “Like House Tian,” Jing said, and Kang nodded.

  “That might be a problem in Qi, but it’s certainly not a problem in Zhao,” Lie said with a chuckle that was soon joined by the men around him.

  “Not yet,” Kang said quickly, “but just you wait. The more smaller states that the larger Seven conquer and incorporate, the more families that were once in power but now aren’t will grow within those states. How long before they begin yearning for what they once had, and gather still-loyal supporters around them to challenge their conquerors, who, I might add, you’ll always be to them.”

  Kang’s eyes settled on Wen with those last words, and Wen cleared his throat, bringing the table’s attention back to him.

  “Wei has conquered many smaller states in recent years, and will hopefully continue to do so. Just recently, no more than a few weeks ago in fact, we conquered Zhongshan. The people seem to be happy with their new rulers for now, but I’m old enough to know that that’ll not always be the case. At any time, perhaps after I’m long gone but perhaps not, they could rise up and demand their freedom. But know, gentlemen,” he said with a look around the table and his finger raised, “that if that happens the whole might of Wei will come down upon them and they will be destroyed.”

  “And when there are no longer any smaller states to conquer, only the Seven States, then what?” Jing asked after several moments of silence had passed.

  A silence descended around the table and the men looked at one another.

  “Then we’ll fight each other,” Wei Yang said after a moment, sitting up a little higher in his chair so that each of the men could see him, “and King Weilie’s desire for peace will be gone.”

  The men around the table looked at the young apprentice to the well-known and respected philosopher-advisor Liu Kui, who was seated next to him, and while several of the younger men shook their heads, the older men that had seen fighting between the Seven States before nodded theirs knowingly.

  “We are a nation that fights,” Wen said after a moment, “and we always will be.”

  “I agree,” Jing said. “It is not enough for us to sate our bloodlust on the barbarian tribes to our north, who descend south past the wall of mountains to attack us every few years and who we ride north to attack in the years between. While that fighting is enough to satisfy our short-term appetites, only the subjugation of our fellow countrymen is enough to satiate us for long.”

  “We cannot fight forever,” Lie said. “At some point one of us will grow powerful enough to defeat all the others. When that occurs new enemies will have to be found.”

  “New enemies will be found, although whether they’re outside of our borders or within is often hard to predict,” Liu said.

  Several of the men looked at him questioningly so he sat up straighter in his chair to better address them.

  “Families and clans have fought over the same ground for hundreds if not thousands of years,” he continued. “Eventually one family does defeat all the others, and he becomes the king, or sometimes the emperor – the title really doesn’t matter. It’s happened three times before, and each time that family became a dynasty. First there was the Xia Family, and they ruled for five hundred years before they were defeated by the Shang Family, who then ruled for nearly five hundred years themselves. Then, nearly seven hundred years ago, the Zhou Family became powerful enough to usurp the throne from the Shang Family, and they’ve been ruling ever since.” Liu stopped and let his gaze pass over each of the men around the table. “Which of the seven families will defeat the Zhou Family, gentlemen, and do they sit amongst us now?”

  Liu sat back and let the men’s eyes dart back-and-forth over their counterparts in the room, their thoughts suddenly telling them to beware the men seated around and across from them, for those who a minute before were friends now seemed more like enemies.

  “There is much wisdom in Liu’s words,” Wen said after a few moments, “but we must remember that King Weilie is still strong and commands much respect. While it is true that the Seven States, or the seven families as Liu has called them, may end up fighting amongst each other, that is still many years off. There are many smaller states still to conquer, and I doubt that I’ll see the end of the Zhou Kings’ reign in my lifetime or my son in his.”

  “And your grandson’s?” Jing asked, leaning forward. “Will he see it?”

  Wen shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

  Jing gave a slight smile and nodded before leaning back in his chair.

  “We discount the other three States,” Kang said suddenly. “While it’s true that Yan and Qin are weak and on the periphery of the country, Chu is anything but. While we have been implying that one of those sitting here tonight might one day call his heirs King, it could just as well be one of those three.”

  “Chu couldn’t even find enough chariots to carry a few hundred soldiers, let along provide enough support for a whole army,” Lie said. “Their bureaucracy has become so bloated over the past fifty years that it’s a wonder they continue to control so much territory.”

  “And if it wasn’t for Qin’s position within the passes they would have been conquered like so many of the lesser states years ago,” Zhai said.

  “Lie, you’ve had the best chance to expand your territory by going against Yan,” Jing said. “Why haven’t you?”

  “I’ve not been on the throne long, as you all know,” Lie replied with a smile that the others shared with him, happy to see him make light of his youth. “My father before me and his before had always had cordial relations with Yan. And it’s no different with me. That is why, for my first chance to play outside my own territory, I chose to lend my support to House Tian of Qi.”

  “And we all know how that turned out,” Kang said mockingly.<
br />
  “It could just as easily have turned out the other way,” Wen said, causing the smile on Kang’s face to fade.

  “Lie’s choice was a wise one,” Wen continued, “for all of us here know, or should know, that the time of House Jiang ruling Qi is over, or very nearly will be.” Kang’s eyes grew wide at what he was hearing and his mouth began to form a response. Wen leaned over closer to Zhai, but still spoke loudly enough for all to hear. “What do you think, Zhai? House Jiang’s got another twenty years before House Tian wrests control of Qi from them?”

  “If that,” Zhai said with an icy smile toward Kang.

  “I can’t believe what I’m hearing here,” Kang said loudly, outrage in his voice. “We had an agreement! I help you with King Weilie and you help me in Qi.”

  “We’ve helped you in Qi,” Wen said quickly, his voice containing none of the humor of just a moment before. “What do you call what happened yesterday morning with Tai Tian if not help? Your enemy has been defeated, just as he defeated you, although you still live while he does not.”

  “What are you saying?” Kang said, concern in his voice.

  “I’m saying that you’ve talked with King Weilie and he’s agreed with your opinion that Wei, Han, and Zhao should be proclaimed as the three Jins,” Wen said. “Your part of the deal is completed, as is ours. Troops already are in Qi and around the capital of Linzi as we speak. Your hold on your lands is once again secure. What you do with that hold is up to you.”

  “We’re only being pragmatic here, Kang,” Wen continued. “How long do you think that we can continue to support a broken ruler?”

  Kang stood up angrily from the table, knocking over a cup of tea in the process. “If you’ll not help me then I’ll get either Yan, Qin, or Chu! In fact, I don’t need any help. House Tian is like a chicken with its head cut off after the death of Tai Tian. It will be easy for me to finish off the body.”

  He gave Wen a final stony look before turning and nearly running out the door. The room was silent for several moments as the men looked at the empty doorway leading out into the black night and then at each other. Finally they looked back to Wen who burst into laughter, quickly followed by all the others.