The conversation with Fu Su from today involuntarily flashed through his mind, causing the green-robed youth to lose focus and nearly burn his hand while pouring water.
Fortunately, the blue-robed Daoist caught sight of this and timely pulled his young disciple’s elbow, avoiding the disaster. He simply took over the scalding water pot, filled both their cups, then rummaged in his robes and produced an exquisite silk pouch, from which he poured out a small pile of dried plum petals.
The blue-robed Daoist picked up the plum petals, placing a small pinch in each ceramic cup, then scattered the rest over the Eying fish cakes. The red plum petals paired with the white, tender fish cakes made the delicacy appear much more appetizing, even though the serving dish was just an unremarkable pale yellow ceramic plate. In both ceramic cups, the dried plum petals unfurled their form as soon as the hot water touched them, regaining their lustrous bright red color and floating up and down in the steaming water, while a faint plum fragrance gradually suffused the room.
Though he felt this was unnecessary fuss, the green-robed youth had to admit his master’s food presentation tricks were truly innovative, each time more elaborate than the last.
After sipping the tea with its elegant plum fragrance, the anxiety in the green-robed youth’s heart seemed to be smoothed over like being ironed, and he exhaled lightly before asking directly: “Master, is it better for people to do what they should do, or what they want to do?”
“Eh? Why do you ask such a thing?” The blue-robed Daoist, who was bringing a piece of fish cake garnished with plum petals to his mouth, was startled.
Isn’t a teacher supposed to transmit knowledge and resolve doubts? Wasn’t answering confusing questions the responsibility of a master? Not to mention he was eating his fish cakes! The green-robed youth pointed at the silk pouch on the table and said thoughtfully: “Take this silk pouch as an example. A piece of fabric can become robes or become a bundle, depending entirely on the seamster’s will.” As he spoke, he raised his head, his still somewhat youthful features bearing an unprecedented solemnity. “No one cares whether the fabric is willing to become a silk pouch.”
The blue-robed Daoist tossed the fish cake in his hand into his mouth, curling his lips in a contemptuous smile. The sweet fish cake didn’t affect his clear articulation as he scoffed: “You’re asking this for that Eldest Prince, aren’t you? How foolish! Are people the same as silk pouches? Perhaps robes are more glamorous, perhaps bundles are what it desires—all depends on a single thought. Whether robes or bundles, you are not the fish, so how can you know the fish’s joy?”
The green-robed youth remained silent. His master was hinting that he should mind his own business.
“Heaven’s movement follows constant patterns, not preserved by Yao’s existence, not destroyed by Jie’s demise.” The blue-robed Daoist said gently, “Just treat it with indifference.”
They said nothing more after that. The blue-robed Daoist swept clean the fish cakes on the plate and the plum blossom tea before leaving. When departing, he didn’t take the silk pouch with him, casually gifting it to the green-robed youth.
Inside the silk pouch was a round white jade ornament with strange patterns. Its shape was neither a bi disc nor a huan ring, and the green-robed youth couldn’t determine its purpose for the moment. But seeing its quality, he knew it was expensive, so he could only wear it along with the silk pouch.
After the blue-robed Daoist left, Ying hurriedly ran back, still clutching the handkerchief in his hands, spreading it hopefully on the table.
The green-robed youth was moved—however many pieces of fish cake he had put inside earlier, exactly that many remained now.
Ying hadn’t eaten a single piece.
“A Luo, let’s eat together.” Ying smiled brilliantly.
“Mm.” The green-robed youth’s frozen expression finally melted, the corners of his lips lifting in a warm smile.
“Oh my! A Luo, you look so beautiful when you smile! You should smile more often!”
“…Shut up.”
“If I shut up, I can’t eat fish cakes! Oh my! These fish cakes are really delicious! This cup of water with plum blossoms is so tasty too!”
“…Can’t eating and drinking shut you up?”
225 BCE
Wang Li presented his waist token for inspection by the guards at the entrance of Gaoquan Palace.
Ever since Jing Ke nearly assassinated the King of Qin over two years ago, palace security had become even stricter. Previously, one removed swords when ascending to the throne hall; now swords had to be removed right at the palace gates. Even going to Gaoquan Palace was no exception, because Gaoquan Palace was adjacent to Xianyang Palace, with a walkway directly connecting the two palace complexes.
Calmly handing over his sword to the guards, Wang Li smoothly entered Gaoquan Palace, looking up at the clear spring winding down from the hillside. This was his first time coming here; in fact, he hadn’t set foot in neighboring Xianyang Palace for over a year.
There wasn’t much martial arts to learn in Xianyang Palace, and he wasn’t willing to study ritual, music, writing, or mathematics either. So these past two years had essentially been about getting familiar with the various princes and young masters from royal and noble families. A year ago, when his grandfather Wang Jian returned from the front lines to Pinyang claiming illness, he reported to the King of Qin and brought him home for personal instruction. Since his grandfather had returned, he no longer needed to serve as a hostage in Xianyang Palace. Even though his father Wang Ben was still leading troops at the front, he was only a deputy general under Li Xin rather than a commanding general, with insufficient prestige, so there was no need to continue sending hostages to the palace.
The winter wind suddenly rose, cutting across his cheeks like a blade, but Wang Li didn’t even blink. Under military training, the sixteen-year-old had grown brave and resolute, his entire being like a sharpened sword with its edge fully exposed.
Wang Li first habitually stopped to survey the surrounding situation before catching up with the palace attendant leading the way.
He hadn’t come to Gaoquan Palace today to see its master Fu Su, but because the young Minister of State had sent word through someone, asking to meet and talk. Thinking that they hadn’t seen each other for over a year, Wang Li’s steps unconsciously quickened with eagerness.
The attendant was also intimidated by Wang Li’s pressing aura, trotting all the way as he led the path, breathlessly bringing him to a side hall. Just as he was about to announce the visitor, Wang Li behind him had already impatiently pushed open the hall doors, directly stepping over the threshold and striding inside.
This side hall should be for the young Minister of State’s exclusive use. Upon entering, one was greeted by shelves filled with stacks of bamboo slips, and waves of bamboo’s distinctive fresh fragrance mixed with ink odor hit him in the face, immediately choking Wang Li into several sneezes.
He simply couldn’t understand why anyone would think ink smelled pleasant—it clearly stank enough to make one faint.
However, with the hall doors wide open, Wang Li recovered quickly. Besides the bookshelves, even the floor of the side hall was piled with various bamboo slips, with only a few narrow gaps left for walking.
Stepping and jumping nimbly around these book piles, Wang Li rounded a row of shelves but found no one at the low table in front of the screen. Just as he was about to call out loudly to the attendant outside, he saw a figure moving behind the screen, and a youth in green robes emerged with surprise.
The young Minister of State’s official robes were green, so he habitually wore green robes year-round. Today he wore a stone-green long robe, but the hem was pulled up and tied at his waist, revealing the white undergarments beneath.
Wang Li was startled, not having expected to encounter such a scene, and immediately flushed red, apologizing repeatedly.
The green-robed youth smiled bitterly, immediately placing the bamboo slips in his hands on the low table while bending to arrange his robes, saying: “I was afraid of having the bamboo slips tear my clothes while walking around the hall. Please don’t mind.”
“I was too rash; I should have had someone announce me.” Wang Li rubbed his nose, feeling quite guilty. Who could have imagined that this young Minister of State, who appeared so proper and impeccable in public, would be so casual and uninhibited in private?
In that brief glimpse, he had vaguely seen what looked like bedding behind the screen, suggesting this young Minister of State probably slept here directly when he got tired from reading.
The green-robed youth moved quickly, lowering his robe and gathering his somewhat disheveled long hair, restoring his dignified appearance in just a few motions. He smiled and invited Wang Li to sit, while he himself lifted the water pot that had been kept warm on the fire pit, brewing two cups of hot water with plum petals and placing them on the low table. Because this side hall stored many bamboo slips concerning court affairs—even if not the latest ones—other attendants were forbidden from approaching, and even Caiwei couldn’t enter freely, so the green-robed youth had developed the habit of doing things himself.
Through the misty rising steam, Wang Li studied the youth he hadn’t seen for so long. Compared to his childish appearance when first entering Xianyang Palace, the now fourteen-plus-year-old Minister truly deserved to be called a proper youth. His height had grown considerably, and though his features had matured significantly, they still retained some childish innocence while being handsome enough to captivate one’s gaze.
Seeing the youth before him with a smile at the corners of his lips, his entire being radiating an approachable, gentle aura, Wang Li couldn’t help but sigh: “Bi Zhi, you’ve changed a lot.”
The green-robed youth smiled slightly. Who wouldn’t change? Even Wang Li’s way of addressing him had changed from A Luo to Bi Zhi, to the courtesy name personally given to him by Eldest Prince Fu Su, creating an invisible distance between them.
Ever since choosing Fu Su as the enlightened lord he would assist, he had adjusted his future life plans. The first thing to change was his own personality.
Having grown up in a family where everyone was stern and unsmiling, he had developed an expressionless demeanor. But as a subordinate, one couldn’t always maintain a stiff face. Moreover, Fu Su had gone through voice change two years ago, during which he barely spoke, making him—who could communicate with Fu Su’s thoughts—become the other’s mouthpiece. When dealing with others, smiles became a necessity.
He wasn’t used to it at first, but later came to see through it all. Actually, smiling or not smiling made no difference—both were just adding another mask over one’s true expression. And smiles could disarm others’ wariness, so why not?
“I was just ignorant in my youth.” The green-robed youth smiled and sipped the elegant plum-scented tea. Since becoming accustomed to his master’s preference for flower teas, he had Caiwei collect seasonal petals to dry according to the seasons.
Wang Li also took a sip but didn’t find this effeminate tea particularly tasty. He held back from complaining aloud—they hadn’t seen each other in so long, it wouldn’t be good to immediately have a falling out.
The green-robed youth, who knew him well, smiled even more cheerfully at this sight. Look, the formerly sharp-tongued Young Master Wang Li now considered his words carefully before speaking. Only his initial reckless charging into the side hall revealed glimpses of his still-unground youthful spirit.
An inexplicable sense of loss suddenly welled up in his heart. The green-robed youth’s lip curve lowered slightly, but he warmly initiated conversation, chatting with Wang Li.
Last year, when the King of Qin intended to attack Chu, he asked General Li Xin how many soldiers would be needed. Li Xin claimed two hundred thousand would suffice. The King then asked General Wang Jian the same question, but the latter said nothing less than six hundred thousand would do. The King laughed, saying General Wang was old and cowardly. Finally, he appointed Li Xin as commanding general with Meng Tian assisting, while General Wang Jian took the opportunity to claim illness and return home—a truly lamentable situation.
This exchange between ruler and ministers was spread by interested parties, immediately becoming last year’s most popular topic in Qin. The green-robed youth had been subjected to Chaofeng’s brain-drilling gossip chatter about it for a full month, forcing him to eventually move to Gaoquan Palace for quite a while. If not for Ying having an emotional breakdown and dragging him back to Luming Residence, he would have completely avoided setting foot in Xianyang Palace again.
However, to avoid awkward conversation with Wang Li, the green-robed youth brought up this topic, immediately triggering Wang Li’s lengthy complaints and grievances. The green-robed youth listened with a smile, appropriately adding his own insights and agreement at certain pauses, quickly making Wang Li feel they were kindred spirits.
“Hmph! Before General Li took command of the great army, my father conquered over ten Chu cities. This achievement was simply stolen by General Li afterward.” Wang Li clenched his right fist and swung it angrily through the air.
“I heard recently that the old general claimed illness, and General Wang Ben returned recently. I heard it’s to attack Wei?” Seeing Wang Ben mentioned, the green-robed youth immediately changed the subject. This news wasn’t a military secret among Xianyang’s upper circles. Han, Zhao, and Yan had already been destroyed, Chu had Li Xin leading troops against it, and since he hadn’t taken many soldiers, the idle forces would certainly have other arrangements. Of the remaining two countries, Qi was farthest, so the target was definitely Wei.
“It should be so. In a few days, my father will enter the palace to receive the tiger tally. This time I’ll also accompany the army to battle.” Wang Li spoke until his mouth was dry, picked up the plum blossom tea and drained it in one gulp, no longer finding this strange taste objectionable. After the cup moistened his throat, Wang Li fingered the ceramic cup and hesitated for a moment. Guessing this was the real reason the green-robed youth had specifically sought him out for conversation, he spoke honestly: “Actually… I’m still somewhat worried.”
The green-robed youth smiled faintly and held up one finger, saying slowly: “First, this is General Wang Ben’s first time leading troops independently.”
Wang Li’s expression darkened slightly, but he still nodded. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his father, but previously he had always led troops under his grandfather’s command. Even when he had conquered over ten Chu cities before, it was because his grandfather’s army was nearby, able to provide mutual support if anything happened. This wasn’t to say his father’s military ability was lacking, but it was a psychological matter—like someone walking on a single-log bridge never feeling as secure as walking on a stone bridge. On the ever-changing battlefield, this extremely tense psychology often led to wrong judgments.
The green-robed youth needed no further explanation, knowing Wang Li understood his unspoken meaning. He held up a second finger: “Second, insufficient troops.”
Wang Li’s expression darkened further. Li Xin took two hundred thousand soldiers, which seemed like two-thirds fewer than the six hundred thousand his grandfather had demanded, but the difference between soldiers was vast. The gap between veterans, new recruits, and elite troops was more than considerable. The soldiers Li Xin took to attack Chu were all carefully selected elites. Though the soldiers under his father were all personally trained by his grandfather, they still couldn’t compare to the batch Li Xin had specifically chosen. Moreover, his grandfather had said six hundred thousand soldiers were needed to attack Chu. Although Wei was weaker than Chu, it couldn’t be easily destroyed either. Since Li Xin attacking Chu only took two hundred thousand, his father attacking Wei couldn’t exceed this number given their respective territorial ranges, and might even need to be much less. So after hesitating for a long while, Wang Li reluctantly nodded.
The green-robed youth then held up a third finger: “Third, since Qin began attacking the six states, it has never fought on two fronts simultaneously.”
Wang Li’s grip on the ceramic cup instantly tightened, his expression becoming extremely dark—clearly this was his greatest concern. But the green-robed youth didn’t pause, continuing sentence by sentence: “Vertical alliance and horizontal alliance—though the six states haven’t successfully formed vertical alliances against Qin, with three states already destroyed, Wei, Qi, and Chu might be forced by desperate circumstances to unite.
“Moreover, the lands of Han, Zhao, and Yan are not yet stable. If time drags on too long, the nobility of the three states might very likely raise troops in rebellion. This is actually the reasoning behind what General Wang Jian said—that attacking Chu requires no less than six hundred thousand men.
“And if we imagine the worst scenario, General Li’s attack on Chu might have higher defeat rates. If he seeks rescue from General Wang Ben, should he save him or not?”
One supposition after another made Wang Li’s heart sink like falling into an ice cellar, yet he had to admit that everything the green-robed youth analyzed could very possibly happen. Some analyses were even more severe than what he could imagine.