Both men turned to see Jing Jian stride into the room. The general was wearing dark grey robes tied at the waist with a black belt. His long black hair was tied in neat top-knot and again in a smaller bun at the base of his neck. The long beard that Shang remembered from his previous meeting with the man was now cut short, although his mustache had grown long in its place, reaching down to the top of his chest. As he strode purposefully across the room to where Xian was sitting, Shang could see his thick eyebrows rise to reveal his small and penetrating eyes. He pulled his arms from the sleeves of his robes as he got closer to Xian and both men embraced by grasping each other’s forearms.
“Marquis Xian, it is an honor to see you once again,” Jing said.
“And it is an honor for me as well, Jing. It has been too long since you’ve last been in the palace to see me.”
Jing nodded. “Not since before we made the first moves against Shu and Ba more than ten years ago.” He looked down at the floor for a moment before looking into Xian’s face again. “I really wish things were working out better down south,” he said with a sorrowful voice.
Xian shook his head. “They are working, that is what is important. Our settlement of the lands may not be going as quickly as we’d like, but those two states comprise a vast area of land and it’ll take time to secure it all.”
“Just give the word and I’ll move my forces south to speed up the process,” Jing said.
Xian waved away the words with his hand. “We have a much more important task for you, Jing.” Xian stepped aside and raised his arm up toward the small table and chairs and Shang rose to his feet.
“More important than putting up walls in the north?” Jing asked with a trace of sarcasm.
“Much more important,” Xian said as the two men reached the table.
Jing’s eyes fell on Shang and looked him up and down before settling back on his face.
“Shang Yang, I’ve heard much of what you’ve done over the past fifteen years. It seems like only yesterday that we were riding to the Marquis’ hunting lodge together.”
Shang nodded. “Much has changed since then, Jing, not the least of which being the changes you’ve helped bring about.”
“I’ve only been able to bring them about because of the forces at my disposal, forces that you created from nothing.”
Shang bowed his head at the words before looking up at Jing again. “We have another task for those forces, and one that we hope you’ll be able to help us clarify.”
“I heard that Marquis Jing of Zhao was in the palace,” Jing said with a look from one man to the other. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with him, would it?”
“It has much to do with him, although it’s also far larger than him as well,” Xian said as he settled into his chair and motioned for the other two to do so as well.
“If it has anything to do with Zhao than it must also have something to do with Han, Wei, and Chu as well, for it seems that nothing can only involve one state these days.”
Shang nodded at Jing’s words. “It will involve a few of those states and possibly all or even more, we aren’t sure.”
“That is why we called you here, to discuss the matter,” Xian said. “Shang and I are not the military experts that you are, and we need your opinion.”
“Well, in that case I’ll help as much as I can,” Jing said.
Xian leaned forward in his chair and was just about to divulge what he’d discussed with Marquis Jing when the door flew open and Ying Si strode into the room. It was obvious from the way that the guard rushed about that he’d tried to alert the men of the prince’s approach and that he was utterly sorry for the sudden intrusion, but Xian simply waved it off.
Ying strode to where his father and two of the most important men in all of Qin were sitting and sat down in an empty chair without a word. He was wearing dark brown robes that looked to have been slept in and his hair was quite disheveled, having been hastily pulled back and tied in a knot. His short beard and mustache, though well-trimmed, looked not to have been washed in at least two days. Red rimmed his eyes as well, and Shang detected the faint smell of wine. Obviously the prince had been drinking the night before, possibly well into the morning. No doubt he’d been woken for this meeting even though it was well past midday.
“Ying Si,” Xian said after a moment to break the sudden tension around the table, “I’m glad you decided to join us. We have some delicate things to discuss, matters of the utmost importance to the future of Qin, which you can have a large part in.”
Ying shrugged his shoulders and raised his eyebrows as if it was of little consequence to him. He did give an acknowledging nod to Jing Jian which was returned but to Shang he only gave a short scoff. Shang frowned and raised his own eyebrows at the sleight, but said nothing. Xian cleared his throat and leaned back in toward Jing.
“As you know and have mentioned, Jing, Marquis Jing of Zhao was here today for a meeting. To get quickly to the point, he wants Qin to invade Wei.”
Jing nodded at the words but said nothing and Ying only yawned.
“What’s more, he then intends to make a show of attacking and repelling us from Wei so as to gain Marquis Hui’s trust.”
“And what did you say to that?” Jing asked.
“I agreed to it.”
Jing nodded again. “And what will this attack from Zhao be like?”
“He assured me that it will only be a ruse, and that when we encounter Zhao troops we are to begin moving back across our border.”
“When will this take place?” Jing asked.
“At a time of our choosing, but shortly – the winter will be upon us soon and we want the attack to occur before the first snows seal off the Hangu Pass.”
Jing nodded again. “Marquis Jing said that he wants Qin to invade Wei, but did he say where he wants that invasion to occur or how many forces should comprise it?”
“He said nothing in regard to either of those points,” Xian said. “We wanted to get your opinion on the matter, although Shang thinks that the vagueness of the Marquis’ request allows us to move against Wei wherever we would like with however many forces we would like.”
“Shang is correct in that assumption,” Jing said as he turned to Shang. “What else do you think?”
“I think this is a great opportunity for Qin to take back the Hexi Corridor that was taken when Wei attacked nearly twenty years ago.”
Jing rubbed at his short beard and nodded slowly. “That is a possibility, and one that would do much to bolster our growing prestige with the other states.”
“The area would also bring in a great-deal of tax revenue from the caravan trade,” Xian said.
“So we take back Hexi, is that it then?” Jing asked. “Or is there more that you want from this invasion?”
Xian looked to Shang for a moment before settling his gaze on Jing. “Shang thinks that we could use this invasion to send a clear message to the other Seven States that Qin is a force to be reckoned with. He thinks that we can push deep into Wei territory, perhaps even taking the capital.”
“Does he now?” Jing said with a faint smile as he looked at Shang. “You really think that we could take Anyi?”
Shang’s eyes narrowed and bore into Jing. “Do you?”
Jing shrugged his shoulders. “I think we could, although I don’t think it would be wise?”
“Why not?” Ying asked, his first words since entering the room.
“Well for one thing we would have to occupy it and that wouldn’t fall within Marquis Jing’s plans of repelling us from Wei.”
“We could take it and then abandon it,” Ying said. “Jing would certainly gain Hui’s trust if he pushed us out of their capital.”
The General shook his head. “I don’t think it would be a prudent move to make at this time.”
“And what do you think would be prudent?” Ying said in a mocking tone.
Jing shot the prince a dark look and the young man settled back i
n his chair with a scoff. He turned his eyes back to Xian.
“I think we could move into Hexi without a problem; the area isn’t heavily-garrisoned, despite its importance. That move will let Wei know we’re coming. They’ll assemble their forces to meet us on the field, where a battle will take place. It will be there where this ruse by Zhao can take place and from which we can move back across our borders.”
“Do you have a site in mind for this battle?” Xian asked.
Jian nodded and reached into a deep pocked on the side of his robes, pulling out a rolled up scroll. Shang leaned forward and moved the tea cups out of the way and Jing unrolled the scroll onto the table, showing a map of Qin and much of western Zhao, Wei, Han, and Chu.
“This spot here would be a good place,” Jing said as he put his finger down on a spot on the map. “It’s a large plain on the eastern outskirts of the Helan Mountains and near a small town called Shimen. It’s not too far south of Hexi and close to our eastern border. I think it would be a good place to meet Wei on the field.”
“You’ve given some thought to this already,” Xian said with a smile.
“I’ve given thought to where to invade all the Seven States,” Jing said with an even wider grin.
“Shimen,” Xian said as he leaned in toward the map. “I’ve never heard of it.”
Jing smiled again. “All in the Seven States soon will.”
TO BE CONTINUED
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About the Author
Greg Strandberg was born and raised in Helena, Montana, and graduated from the University of Montana in 2008 with a BA in History. He lived and worked in China following the collapse of the American economy. After five years he moved back to Montana where he now lives with his wife and young son.
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The State of Wei Preview
(Coming Summer 2014)
Pang Juan rushed through the palace corridors, a desperate look in his eyes and sweat beginning to appear on his brow. He took a turn around one corner and nearly knocked a servant down as she carried a bundle of laundry, but he simply pressed on without even the barest of acknowledgments.
Another turn brought him to a flight of stairs and he bounded up them three at a time, reaching the top in mere seconds. He paused briefly, turning his head down each hallway, and then set off to his right, sure that that was the direction to the royal apartments. His guess proved correct a few moments later when he ran around another corner and came to a door guarded by two large men with dagger-axes. Both tensed at his sudden and frantic appearance, but Pang didn’t pause as he rushed toward them.
“I’ve urgent news for Marquis Hui!” he said between breaths.
The guards stepped aside and one of them opened one of the double doors for him. Pang nodded appreciatively and rushed into the room.
Inside the curtains were all pulled and only a few candles offered the faintest of light. The large bed that dominated the cavernous room was still occupied by Marquis Wu, Marquis Hui’s father, who many believed dead, a fact which allowed Hui to assume that title and the duties that went with it. Pang glanced at the frail Marquis sleeping in the bed and was surprised he was not dead, though his face seemed to be more bones than skin and his eyes were so sunken that they could have been wells.
Hui and Zhai Huang were standing around the large table that had been moved into the room after the twin invasions of Wei by Chu and Zhao, its surface covered in maps of different shapes and sizes. Both looked up at the sudden intrusion by Pang, their fac
es showing alarm.
Pang bent down and put his hands on his knees to try and catch his breath as the door behind him was pulled closed. He looked up at the two men and shook his head.
“Qin,” he said between pants. “Qin is moving toward our border.”
“What!” Hui nearly shouted, coming around the table to be closer to Pang. “Qin? That’s not possible.”
Pang shook his head again. “They’re pushing west into the Hexi Corridor. Initial estimates put their strength at 100,000 foot soldiers, more than 20,000 archers and crossbow men, and about 500 chariots.”
Hui looked over at Zhai, whose eyes had grown wide at the numbers mentioned, and then back at Pang.
“That is not possible,” he said with a shake of his head. “Qin could never field that kind of number. For one thing they don’t have the people.”
Pang straightened and walked to the two men, stopping a foot from them.
“We’ve two messages, one from just across the Qin border and the other from Hexi. Both list nearly the exact same figures.”
Hui looked to Zhai. “How is this possible? Could troops from Zhao be in their army?”
The Minister of War rubbed at his beard. “It is possible, but with the reforms that Qin has been taking over the past twenty years they may have been able to create such an army.”
Hui looked off to the side of the room and then slammed his hand down on the table.
“First Chu and then Zhao. Now you’re telling me that Qin is invading as well? Once word of this reaches the other Seven they’ll surely move as well; Wei will be finished.”
The Warring States, Books 1-3 Page 55