Chapter 35: The People of Qin, True Suffering

Zhao Zheng, noticing that Ying Quliang held Wei Yang in low regard, stepped forward and said solemnly:

"My Lord, Brother Wei Yang is a man of immense talent! Having conversed with him at length, I can assure you that his abilities are by no means inferior to those of Sun Bin or Pang Juan."

Jing Jian, standing nearby, nodded vigorously in agreement. He was, after all, better qualified than anyone to vouch for this, having spent so much time in discussion with them.

"Oh?"

Ying Quliang’s gaze sharpened. Hearing such praise from both men, he became intrigued.

"Sir, would you be willing to speak further?" Ying Quliang turned to Wei Yang, his tone laced with a hint of probing.

A confident smile played on the corners of Wei Yang's mouth. He bowed composedly and said, "That is my intention exactly. However, I ask for some time; I wish to personally experience the customs and conditions of the Qin State."

"Granted. You shall accompany him." Ying Quliang agreed immediately and directed Zhao Zheng to act as his companion.

Zhao Zheng accepted at once, as he, too, wished to conduct a true, firsthand inspection of the Qin State.

...

At the residence of Gan Long.

Du Zhi knelt rigidly on the stone floor, beads of sweat rolling down his temples. High above on the dais, Gan Long’s face was terrifyingly dark. He stared at Du Zhi, remaining silent.

"Master... it was merely an accident. Give me one more chance, and I swear I will ensure he meets a wretched end." Du Zhi’s voice trembled with fear.

"An accident?" Gan Long slammed his hand against the table, causing Du Zhi to flinch violently. "You dare call it an accident?"

"I warned you repeatedly not to engage in such foolishness, yet you? You have walked the razor's edge of death time and time again."

"Well, look at the mess we are in now! How do you intend to resolve this?"

Du Zhi stammered, his body shaking even more violently as he tried to defend himself: "How was I to know that Zhao Zheng would avoid the Wu Pass? It was a flawless plan!"

"And this time, Master, you..."

"Flawless?" Gan Long let out a mocking, icy laugh. "If a scheme succeeds, it is called flawless. If it fails, what is it?"

He walked up to Du Zhi, enunciating every word, spitting on his face: "It is nothing but a stinking pile of dog excrement!"

"Hmph... as things stand, there is no choice but to sacrifice the pawn to save the king." Gan Long took a deep breath, suppressing his rage. After all, Du Zhi was his disciple and a member of the noble clans; he could not simply let him be the scapegoat.

Hearing his master’s tone soften, Du Zhi clutched at the lifeline. "How do we sacrifice this pawn?"

"Find someone else to take the fall—someone neither too significant nor too insignificant..."

"Furthermore, do not provoke Zhao Zheng in the coming days." A flicker of wariness crossed Gan Long's eyes. "I have observed that Zhao Zheng has no intention of opposing us; otherwise, he would have made his move at the city gate."

Gan Long looked at the kneeling Du Zhi with disappointment, yet he continued to offer a solution.

"Master, is Zhao Zheng one of our own? Back then, he showed no signs of attacking me either." Du Zhi recalled the incident at the Qin-Wei border, where Zhao Zheng had indeed refrained from confrontation.

Gan Long shook his head. "I do not know... but I can tell that this young man only strikes when his life is threatened."

"I warn you for the last time: if you foolishly try to provoke Zhao Zheng again... hmph, do not say I didn't warn you."

Gan Long warned him sternly. Yet, he truly could not fathom Zhao Zheng's stance. If he were an enemy, he had not yet infringed upon the core interests of the old noble clans. If he were not, he had still caused the officials of the noble clans significant headaches. But Gan Long knew one thing for certain: Zhao Zheng possessed the means to ensure the old clans would never recover, yet for some reason, he had refrained from using them.

Time passed quickly. Two years flew by.

359 BC.

Few events of note occurred during these two years. King Xian of Zhou sent an envoy to offer sacrificial meat to Ying Quliang, officially recognizing his rank as Bo (Count). In the State of Wei, Pang Juan fully consolidated military power and implemented the "Wu Zi" infantry system. However, Pang Juan changed his strategic focus away from Qin, choosing instead to expand his influence in the Central Plains and suppress the states of Han and Zhao.

Through two years of investigation, Zhao Zheng, Jing Jian, and Wei Yang traveled deep into the Qin territory, witnessing the true suffering of the people. They visited few cities, preferring to venture into the impoverished villages scattered among the ravines and gullies.

The honesty, simplicity, and hospitality of the old Qin people left a deep mark on Wei Yang and Zhao Zheng. Seeing they were outsiders, the villagers would scrape together their millet to steam half a piece of coarse, hard cake, then break off the larger portion to stuff into Zhao Zheng's arms. When they sought shelter at night, the earthen beds were ice-cold, yet the villagers pooled together three seemingly intact items to provide warmth.

But beneath this searing display of kindness lay a brutal reality. Longxi, which should have been vast fields of fertile land, was now a scene of utter devastation.

"Do you see?" Jing Jian’s voice was as cold as ice as he pointed his horsewhip at the surrounding ruins. The air here was thick with the stench of blood and scorched earth.

"The Xirong cavalry comes and goes through our territory as they please. They slaughter the men, carry off the women and children, and burn the grain and houses to the ground."

"For a hundred miles around, who dares to farm in peace?"

Zhao Zheng clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.

"My child! You beasts!" A shrill, desperate cry of agony rang out. The group followed the sound to find an old man, gaunt as a skeleton, weeping heart-rendingly as he held the corpse of his young son amidst the broken walls.

The eastern part of the Qin State was equally tragic. The states of Wei and Chu constantly harassed Qin, seizing grain one day and killing people the next. Today they would massacre a village; tomorrow they would burn a field. The fertile eastern plains had been reduced to scorched earth under the blades of Wei and Chu. Just like in Longxi, it was a scene of desolation.

Even though Qin had sought peace with the Six States, and even though Ying Quliang had protested countless times, it was to no avail. Qin was too weak; who cared about them?

This was the first time Zhao Zheng felt the pain of a nation and the suffering of the people so viscerally.

Inside the Yueyang Palace, in a side chamber, only Ying Quliang, Zhao Zheng, and Wei Yang were present. Having returned from their inspection, Zhao Zheng and Wei Yang had gone straight to the palace, while Jing Jian went to attend to official duties.

Ying Quliang leaned forward to pour tea for Zhao Zheng and Wei Yang. Two years of absence had left him looking much older. With Zhao Zheng away, dealing with the old noble clans alone had been a heavy burden. He looked up at the two men and smiled. "Gentlemen, it has been two years since we last parted."

"So, what have you gained from this journey?"

Zhao Zheng held the warm teacup in both hands, took a sip, and said, "In the city of Yueyang, the nobles dance and sing, living in comfort. Yet, the people at the borders live in the midst of fire and water."

"The raids of the Xirong and the harassment from Wei and Chu have turned vast swathes of fertile borderland into a wasteland."

Ying Quliang sighed helplessly. "The Xirong are wolves circling us, Wei and Chu are tigers watching us, and within, the noble families live in excess, oppressing the common folk. This is the scourge of Qin!"

"Do you two gentlemen have a solution?" Ying Quliang looked at them.

Zhao Zheng drained his cup. "Having made peace with the Six States, the border raids may continue, but there is no longer the threat of a major war. I can now turn my attention to dealing with the Xirong tribes."

"As for strengthening the state, I defer to Wei Yang!"

He turned his gaze toward Wei Yang; Zhao Zheng had no desire to interfere with the legalist reforms, for this was Wei Yang's destined path.

Wei Yang was startled for a moment, then spoke slowly: "My Lord, if the path to strength requires violating the ancestral laws of our predecessors, what would you do?"

Ying Quliang nodded slightly. "If it makes Qin strong, why should ancestral laws not be broken? Even the ancestors in the underworld would support me."

Wei Yang asked again: "And if this path to strength brought danger to your own life, what would you do?"

Ying Quliang answered without hesitation, his voice firm: "If it ensures the people of Qin no longer suffer the ravages of war, I, Quliang, would die without regrets."