Chapter Five: Wei Yang: "I’m Falling Apart, My Friend"

Damn, is this guy clairvoyant? How does he know everything?

Wei Yang was completely stunned; this was nothing like what he had imagined.

"Then..."

"Your teacher shall also be returned to the State of Wei."

Following Zhao Zheng’s logic, Ying Quliang didn't even need to think about what Shang Yang would ask next.

Wei Yang took a deep breath, cupped his hands, and addressed Ying Quliang: "May I ask, Lord of Qin, who devised this stalling tactic?"

Wei Yang was certain that Ying Quliang, as the Lord of Qin, could not have come up with a stalling tactic that avoided ceding territory while still releasing the prisoners. Even if he had thought of it, if such words came from a new ruler, he would surely lose the hearts of his people.

Ying Quliang looked toward Zhao Zheng, who was hiding behind Ying Qian.

Wei Yang bowed to Zhao Zheng and asked, "May I ask which school you hail from, sir?"

According to the customs of the Warring States period, one did not ask for names, but rather how powerful one's patrons were.

Zhao Zheng had no choice but to brace himself, step forward, and return the bow: "I am of the Guiguzi school, a disciple of Guiguzi."

"Guiguzi?"

Wei Yang’s head spun; his previous sense of defiance was instantly crushed to dust.

Guiguzi? This was the teacher of Sun Bin and Pang Juan! Had the State of Qin actually managed to lure such a recluse down from the mountains? Yet, this Guiguzi seemed a bit young... Could the legends about Guiguzi be false? Upon reflection, that made sense; the descriptions of Guiguzi given by Sun Bin of Qi and Pang Juan were completely different.

Wei Yang felt a wave of helplessness. He had been suppressed by Pang Juan in Wei, and now that he had left Wei, he was being soundly beaten by Pang Juan's teacher? It was painful—truly painful.

"I bid you farewell."

Deflated, Wei Yang sighed, flicked his sleeves, and strode away toward the base of Wuguan Pass.

"Sir, if you find yourself unable to stay in Wei in the future, you are most welcome to come to Qin."

Zhao Zheng’s clear, youthful voice called out after him. Wei Yang paused at these words, nodded slowly, and departed.

"What is so special about this Wei Yang?" Ying Quliang, failing to understand Zhao Zheng's actions, felt a hint of disdain for Wei Yang.

Zhao Zheng watched as the man and his horse galloped away below Hangu Pass. "In terms of military strategy, he is not my equal, but in terms of statecraft and governance, I am not his."

Zhao Zheng’s assessment was accurate. In his later life, he had mostly enjoyed reading books on military strategy, including all the textbook-worthy battles in history, but he had read far less on the art of governing a state. Moreover, the school of Guiguzi was essentially a machine for war. Pang Juan, Sun Bin, and later Zhang Yi and Su Qin—even his students, Xishou and Bai Qi—were all masters of tactics and diplomatic intrigue, but they were novices when it came to statecraft and politics. Consequently, of all the Guiguzi disciples, only Sun Bin had managed to meet a peaceful end.

***

Afterward, Ying Quliang went to visit the captured Chancellor of Wei, while Ying Qian led soldiers to set an ambush in the advantageous terrain pointed out by Zhao Zheng. The command of the entire Wuguan Pass was handed over to Meng Yun, while Zhao Zheng acted as a military advisor.

"It tastes good, I suppose... but this salt! It’s so bitter, and the meat is quite gamey." Zhao Zheng was not at all satisfied with the leg of lamb he was gnawing on.

Meng Yun rolled his eyes at him. "This is the finest fare in Qin, and you’re still nitpicking?"

Ever since Zhao Zheng arrived in Qin, Ying Quliang had tightened his own belt to ensure Zhao Zheng received the best of everything. Rare luxuries like lamb and salt were things commoners would never taste in a lifetime, and even Ying Quliang, the Lord of Qin, rarely had them more than a few times a year. However, the mutton of this era was indeed inferior to the improved breeds of the future—not only gamey, but poor in texture. As for the salt, it was bitter and even toxic. Zhao Zheng had no intention of being poisoned; it seemed that once this crisis passed, he would have to set about refining salt and breeding better livestock.

Suddenly, the drums of Wuguan Pass thundered.

"Let’s go take a look."

Zhao Zheng ran out, clutching his lamb leg, with Meng Yun hurrying behind him.

On the ramparts of Wuguan, the Qin soldiers beat their drums incessantly, and the sound of battle cries shook the heavens. On the slopes on both sides of the canyon, which was the only path for the Wei army, a massive roar erupted—the elite Qin troops who had been lying in ambush had launched their attack.

The path the Wei army had been advancing along had become their road to the afterlife. The army suffered a devastating blow from above. Countless massive boulders and thick logs, accompanied by a rain of arrows, plummeted down upon the chaotic Wei ranks in the valley floor.

In an instant, the canyon was filled with desperate wails and terrified screams. Boulders crushed men into blood and gore; heavy logs rolled down the slopes, mercilessly grinding over soldiers and horses that could not dodge in time. The once-orderly marching formation was instantly shattered by the sudden assault. In such narrow terrain, the well-equipped Wei forces could not maneuver and became absolute sitting ducks. Smashed chariots, broken spears, and the corpses of men and horses quickly choked the already narrow pass.

"Don't panic! Hold the line!"

Pang Juan, at the rear of the formation, quickly stepped forward to take command. He truly had not expected Qin to ambush them, catching them completely off guard.

"Charge out! Archers, fire at the heights!"

Pang Juan issued orders, but his commands were ignored by the panicked Wei soldiers. It was only after he drew his sword and killed two of the fleeing soldiers that the ranks quieted down and began to execute his commands. A rain of arrows was fired toward the heights on both sides.

However, Ying Qian had long since ordered the ambushing Qin troops to withdraw one by one. The ambush had been as swift as it was fierce, and after a short but intense barrage, the momentum of the falling rocks and logs clearly diminished.

Noticing this, Pang Juan roared, "Stop firing! The Qin troops have already fled."

***

Since he had entered the service of Wei, he had suffered failures, but never had he been defeated so ignorantly. Pang Juan was infuriated and ordered his troops to press rapidly toward Wuguan.

"That was exhilarating, sir! Truly exhilarating!"

Ying Qian led a group of Qin soldiers back to Wuguan, and the first thing he did was excitedly slap Zhao Zheng on the shoulder. "The Wei army was caught with their pants down; with thirty thousand troops, they must have lost at least three thousand men."

The other Qin soldiers involved in the ambush were equally thrilled; without a doubt, this was the most satisfying victory since the Battle of Shaoliang.

But Zhao Zheng could not bring himself to smile. He felt a sense of dread as he watched the menacing Wei army rapidly advancing toward Wuguan.

"Release the Chancellor! Release the Chancellor!"

Before long, the shouts outside Wuguan shook the heavens. The Wei army had marched at high speed and arrived beneath the walls of Hangu Pass.

"Has the Lord not returned yet?" Zhao Zheng was anxious. If Ying Quliang returned any later, it would be over once the Wei army began their siege. Looking at the Qin forces—the old, the weak, the sick, the disabled, wearing incomplete armor and wielding crude weapons—what could they use to block the world-renowned Wei Wu Soldiers in their prime?

Pang Juan rode out alone, his sword pointing at the ramparts, his voice like thunder: "Listen well, you whelp of the Ying family! Release our Chancellor, Gongshu Cuo, at once! Otherwise... today the pass will be broken, and your ancestral temples shall be razed to the ground."

As he shouted, Pang Juan waved his hand, and the massive Wei army behind him kicked up rolling clouds of dust, encroaching upon Hangu Pass like a dark cloud ready to collapse the city.

"Sir... what do we do?" The smile that had been on Ying Qian's face froze, and his voice trembled slightly.

Zhao Zheng struggled for a long moment, then took a deep breath. "Open the gates."

Ying Qian and Meng Yun were stunned, looking at Zhao Zheng in disbelief.

Zhao Zheng said with finality, "If you want to live, open the gates."

The success of the earlier ambush had made Ying Qian trust Zhao Zheng unconditionally. He ordered, "Open the city gates!"

Meng Yun stared at Ying Qian in disbelief. "Grand Tutor, have you gone mad too? Surrender is treason!"

"Open the gates!" Ying Qian roared.

"Open them!" Meng Yun gritted his teeth and immediately issued the order.

Boom!

Accompanied by the screeching of grinding winches and a dull, heavy thud, the thick gates of Wuguan slowly swung open.

Pang Juan, standing alone in front of his formation, saw this, and his movements suddenly froze.

"Halt!!!"

With a roar of command, the surging Wei army was brought to a sudden, jarring stop.