HCT – Chapter 124 Five-Spice Braised Rabbit Heads

When Zhu Xiang returned to the tent, Zichu was reading documents by lamplight. Ying Zheng wasn’t there.

Disliking the flickering lights in Zichu’s tent, Ying Zheng had gone to sleep in Lin Zhi’s tent instead, thoroughly abandoning his uncle who hadn’t returned yet.

As soon as Zhu Xiang saw Zichu working late under the lamp, he frowned.

Zichu immediately closed the document and said, “I don’t usually stay up late. I was just waiting for you.”

Zhu Xiang relaxed his brow and said, “You’re already the Crown Prince now. You don’t need to keep proving yourself.”

Zichu sighed, “I know. I just need to live until I ascend the throne.”

Seeing that Zichu truly understood, Zhu Xiang didn’t nag. After washing up, he lay down to sleep beside Zichu. Having ridden hard all the way back, he was already exhausted.

Although they shared the same bed, both were afraid of the cold. Each had their own thick quilt, and once they got under the covers, they rolled left and right and curled up with a leg sticking out, wrapping themselves up like silkworm cocoons.

Two plump little cocoons lay side by side on the soft, fluffy pillows. Despite their drowsiness, they still began chatting.

Zichu asked, “When you came back, Father’s eyes were a bit red and swollen. What did you say to him?”

Zhu Xiang replied, “I thought you’d ask if I beat him up and made his eyes swell.”

Zichu was speechless. “I’m not Lin Li. I don’t go asking absurd things like that.”

Zhu Xiang chuckled and said, “I just told His Majesty that those who mess with you and Zheng’er failed to consider the love an old man has for his son. That’s simply unfilial.”

Zichu was silent for a while before sneering, “So the King actually has feelings for his children?”

Though he now enjoyed King Zhu’s favor, Zichu had been sent as a hostage to Zhao since childhood. Destitute and forgotten, he wasn’t even as well-off as ordinary scholars in Handan. At that time, the King had shown no sign of remembering he had a son, let alone sending him money.

Even just informing Zhao that the Crown Prince remembered his hostage son would’ve improved his situation significantly.

Now, no matter how much he tried to recover physically, the damage from his time in Handan could not be undone.

So even though they now appeared like an affectionate father and son, Zichu could never genuinely treat Qin King Zhu as a real, loving father.

For the same reason, his attitude toward his birth mother, Lady Xia, was only superficially filial.

He rationally understood that when he was sent as a hostage, everyone believed he had been abandoned and would never return to Qin. It was only natural for his mother to give up on him and not support him secretly.

Though she was a Han noblewoman and came to Qin with a decent dowry, Lady Xia had fallen out of favor and had to rely on that dowry for the rest of her life.

Zichu clearly understood this. If he were in her position, he might’ve done the same.

But when he was ten years old, sitting alone in the carriage bound for Zhao, the expression of total abandonment on his mother’s face had still broken his heart.

His father had many sons, and logically, Zichu could understand why he had no impression of a child born to a concubine he didn’t favor. His mother needed to continue surviving, and logically, he understood her giving up on a son doomed never to return to Qin.

They had the right to abandon him—but he also had the right to never again try to forge a loving bond with them.

Zichu only showed this mindset in front of Zhu Xiang.

Even people like Lin Zhi probably believed Zichu’s filial devotion to his parents was heartfelt.

“Maybe the King doesn’t feel deeply for any one child,” Zhu Xiang said, “but put all his descendants together—how could he not have strong familial feelings? If the Qin princes start infighting, it won’t just be one or two that get caught up—it’ll drag all his sons in.”

Zichu replied coolly, “That’s true.”

Zhu Xiang continued, “I also told the King that these people might be acting on orders from the Six States.”

He repeated word-for-word what he had said to Qin King Zhu.

Zichu was startled. “Is that true? You even guessed that?”

Zhu Xiang replied, “No, I made it up.”

Zichu: “…Huh?”

Zhu Xiang said, “Whether they’re acting on their own or being directed, there are definitely agents from the Six States among their retainers. Right now, probably no one in Qin dares openly support them, so if they receive any material backing, even if it’s from Qin people, they’ll disguise it as coming from rich merchants from other states.”

Zichu understood now. “So as long as the King becomes suspicious, any investigation will only reinforce your claim?”

Zhu Xiang nodded. “Exactly.”

Zichu hesitated for a long time before saying, “You first made the King emotionally reject those stirring up conflict, then raised the stakes to imply a Six-State conspiracy—he’ll respond much more aggressively now. But Zhu Xiang, you’ve always hated internal strife among brothers. Why get involved in this? Besides, even in these minor scuffles like yesterday’s, over a hundred people can die. How can you bear that?”

Zhu Xiang sighed deeply. “I do value human life, but I also have my priorities. If you and Zheng’er fail to become King of Qin, there’s only one end—death. Since they struck first, I must fight back. And Xia Tong, if we crush this before it gains momentum, fewer people will die.”

Zichu also sighed deeply. “Well said.”

Zhu Xiang added, “And they dared lay a hand on Zheng’er. As his uncle, I’m furious. I have to strike back!”

Zichu couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright then.”

The two fell silent and closed their eyes to drift toward sleep.

Just as Zichu was about to doze off, Zhu Xiang’s voice sounded by his ear.

“Xia Tong, you must take care of your health.”

“Mmm… got it, nagger.”

With Zhu Xiang’s arrival, the expressions of the Qin ministers participating in the hunt were rather interesting.

Everyone knew that the rarely-seen Lord Changping had come this time to support his nephew.

No one knew which idiot made a move—but even if you’re after the throne, go for the Crown Prince Zichu, not a child. Resorting to tricks against a child was just disgraceful.

One look at such dirty tactics, and it was obvious that person was unworthy to be King of Qin.

Zhu Xiang didn’t go to complain to the King. Instead, he brought the wronged Ying Zheng to “make peace” with the other Qin princes—a gesture that earned widespread praise.

Look at that broad mind—it’s obvious who’s superior!

Never mind that King Qin’s expression improved—even the others watching felt more at ease.

On the final day of the hunt, everyone, including the princes of Qin, wore cheerful smiles, as if something great had happened.

Everyone except Ying Zheng. He still hadn’t managed to hunt a single rabbit.

Ying Zheng was extremely frustrated. Though he was young, he was fairly skilled at drawing a bow and shooting arrows. His grandfather had even specially instructed the handlers to release more rabbits so he’d have a better chance. He had seen several rabbits hop lazily right in front of him—so why couldn’t he hit a single one?

He even considered picking up a rabbit someone else had killed and pretending it was his own, but his uncle stuck close to him the whole time, watching him with a gleeful, not-at-all-helpful smile that ruined any chance of getting away with it.

Ying Zheng pouted. “Uncle, maybe you’re the reason the rabbits are running away. Can’t you go stand somewhere else?”

Zhu Xiang sighed. “Zheng’er, what if there’s another assassination attempt? How could I leave your side? I have to stay with you at all times to feel at ease.”

Ying Zheng ground his teeth in irritation. That awful uncle—he definitely wasn’t thinking about his safety!

Taking out his anger, Ying Zheng loosed an arrow carelessly… and somehow hit a yellow fox.

The guards all erupted in congratulatory cheers, making Ying Zheng flush with embarrassment.  He had just shot randomly—how did he actually hit a fox?

Oh well.

“Uncle!” Ying Zheng called out triumphantly.

Zhu Xiang raised an eyebrow. “A fox isn’t a rabbit. Our bet was about rabbits, not foxes.”

Ying Zheng’s face fell. “Uncle! That’s so mean!”

Zhu Xiang burst out laughing.

In the end, Ying Zheng trudged back to the starting point, dragging the fox listlessly behind him.  King Qin Zhu was delighted that such a young child had managed to hunt a cunning fox all on his own.

But after praising Ying Zheng for a long time, he noticed the child wasn’t happy at all and couldn’t understand why.

Ying Zheng pouted. “Uncle said a rabbit is a rabbit, and a fox isn’t a rabbit.”

King Qin Zhu: “…” Pfft.

Even though he knew he shouldn’t laugh at that moment, he just couldn’t help it.

Zichu laughed too, while Ying Zheng puffed up his cheeks in protest, grinding his teeth. The other nobles and ministers, upon hearing the story, were both amused and speechless.

They believed that the fox had truly been hunted by Prince Zheng himself, but thought Lord Changping (Zhu Xiang) was certainly being “strict” with the child. Was teasing his nephew really so entertaining?

Judging by Lord Changping’s radiant smile—it absolutely was.

This lighthearted episode during the final stage of the hunting ritual helped dispel the shadow cast by the assassination attempt on the first day.

Even though King Qin Zhu publicly claimed it was just an “accident,” the hunting grounds were small, and the princes’ movements were too conspicuous—everyone knew the truth.

Ying Zheng’s conversation with King Qin Zhu had also spread. Though slaves weren’t considered “people,” many of the guards were noble-born and were punished nonetheless. Ying Zheng’s decisiveness left a deep impression on them.

Now that he was showing a more childlike side, their unease began to ease.

It was better for a child to still act like a child—otherwise, it was just too unsettling.

Since the “assassination” couldn’t be spoken of publicly, the story of Ying Zheng’s rabbit hunt, which could be talked about, became a popular topic of conversation once everyone returned to Xianyang.

Before long, the story of Ying Zheng’s failed rabbit hunt had spread throughout Xianyang—and even to the other six states.

What was originally just a playful moment between uncle and nephew, in the eyes of others, became a tale of moral instruction. They said:

— Zhu Xiang told his nephew to hunt rabbits.
— The nephew hunted something even better—a fox.
— But Zhu Xiang said, “A fox isn’t a rabbit, it doesn’t count.”

Some said Zhu Xiang was teaching his nephew honesty. Others said he was upholding rules and legal principles. Still others believed he was warning the boy not to take shortcuts or rely on technicalities…

In short, this story became a famous educational fable in later generations—eventually becoming a must-read essay during summer and winter breaks.

Zhu Xiang had already guessed that the story might be twisted by later generations—because people already were.

Just as he was preparing to set out south, Han Fei and Li Si came together to ask him about the “moral lesson” behind the incident.

Each had their own interpretation:

Li Si believed Zhu Xiang was teaching Prince Zheng that rewards and punishments should be clear-cut and not arbitrarily altered—even if someone achieved something greater, if it wasn’t what the rules called for, the reward must be separate and clearly defined.

Han Fei, though he agreed with Li Si’s logic, felt that—based on his understanding of Zhu Xiang—he was merely teaching the boy about honesty.

They stared at Zhu Xiang, eyes gleaming, eager to know whose interpretation was correct.

Zhu Xiang helplessly replied, “Neither. I just wanted to tease Zheng’er and see him make a fool of himself.”

Li Si and Han Fei: “……”

Seeing their stunned expressions, Zhu Xiang chuckled. “Why does everything I do have to have some profound meaning behind it?”

Li Si and Han Fei fell into thoughtful silence.

Ying Zheng grumbled, “From now on, just assume Uncle’s always up to no good. He’s a bad person!”

“Spoken like a true rabbit-less Zheng’er,” Zhu Xiang nodded. “This child is promising.”

Ying Zheng was so angry he rammed his head into Zhu Xiang. “I want to eat rabbit today! I’m going to gnaw on a rabbit head!”

Zhu Xiang replied, “Very well, five-spice rabbit heads, coming right up.”

Only then did Ying Zheng huff and puff his way back to his luggage to check if he’d forgotten anything.

Zhu Xiang asked, “The two of you didn’t come here just to ask me this, did you?”

Han Fei clasped his hands and said, “I want to go south with Lord Changping. Xunzi said that I’ve already mastered book knowledge and should broaden my horizons.”

Zhu Xiang replied, “Alright. But if you travel south with me, I will certainly make use of your talents in dealing with Chu.”

Han Fei said, “Chu is not Han. I can serve Lord Changping.”

Zhu Xiang thought to himself, But you must know that as one rises, another must fall. If Qin grows stronger, it will only hasten its attack on Han. So helping Qin is betraying Han.

But since Han Fei had finally taken this step, Zhu Xiang chose to play dumb and didn’t expose him.

“Li Si, are you coming with me too?” Zhu Xiang asked. “Weren’t you following Lin Li?”

Li Si answered, “My master told me to accompany Lord Changping south and assist him. Once he arrives in Wu Commandery, I’ll return with him.”

Li Si was now one of Lin Zhi’s retainers, so he referred to him as “Master.”

Zhu Xiang said, “It’s good to get some experience.” He understood that Lin Zhi probably had other plans for Li Si. Even if he asked Lin Zhi, Lin Zhi would tell him honestly, but there was no need to press.

With two more assistants, Zhu Xiang felt this southern trip would go much more smoothly.

Just before departure, a final major helper arrived.

Lu Buwei, having angered the King of Qin and been demoted back to a wealthy merchant, was now following Lord Changping south in hopes of earning money and regaining favor.

Though Lu Buwei wasn’t Zhu Xiang’s equal, he was still considered Crown Prince Zichu’s “benefactor.” So after Zichu became the Crown Prince, Lu Buwei’s residence was flooded with guests, and he became one of the new elites in Xianyang, riding high on popularity.

When he was reprimanded by the King of Qin, rumors spread that he had tried to play both sides and ended up offending both the king and the prince. After he was dismissed from office, his entourage dispersed like monkeys after a storm—just like when General Lian Po was dismissed after the Battle of Changping.

Lu Buwei was deeply upset.

He was already wealthy, so what he pursued now was status. After Zichu became Crown Prince, he believed his goal had been achieved and that his followers were truly loyal.

He thought he was no less than the famous nobles of the Warring States, like Lord Xinling, whose retainers followed him through thick and thin.

But the moment he lost power, his mansion became deserted. The contrast stung deeply.

Sharing a carriage with Zhu Xiang, Lu Buwei joked bitterly, “Wealth and rank are like clouds—they vanish in an instant.”

Zhu Xiang used Lord Lian’s past as encouragement: “That’s just how retainers are. When you’re wealthy, they gather. You need to take it easy and not take these external things too seriously. You care too much about profit.”

Lu Buwei sighed, “I know. But it’s hard to change.”

Zhu Xiang said, “Hard or not, you still have to change. This might actually be a blessing in disguise, a chance to clear your head. You should recruit fewer retainers.”

Lu Buwei asked skeptically, “If I recruit fewer, they won’t abandon me?”

Ying Zheng chimed in sarcastically, “No, if you have fewer retainers, there’ll be fewer people making trouble for you when the King of Qin gets tired of you.”

Lu Buwei: “…” Does this young lord have a grudge against me? Why’s he always being sarcastic?

Zhu Xiang lightly tapped Ying Zheng on the head. “He’s not entirely wrong. You act like you’re Zichu’s benefactor and built up such a reputation—what, do you want to be the King of Qin’s benefactor next? How can a king have someone ranked above him in status? Be more low-key.”

Lu Buwei fell silent.

Zhu Xiang continued, “I advised you before, and you did listen. But once Xia Tong became Crown Prince, your vanity flared again. Lu Buwei, you supported him when he was still obscure. That was choosing a wise lord to follow, not treating him as a ‘rare commodity to be hoarded.’ Do you understand?”

Ying Zheng added sarcastically again, “Obviously not. My father isn’t a commodity—he’s your lord.”

Lu Buwei said awkwardly, “N-no, that’s not what I meant…”

Zhu Xiang flicked the sarcastic Ying Zheng’s forehead again and said, “You think carefully now. Calm down while you can. Politics is different from business. It’s more about understanding people than chasing profits.”

Lu Buwei asked, “Lord Changping, are you really good at understanding people? But the world says you’re not.”

Zhu Xiang replied, “Not being good means I make fewer mistakes. But personally, I think I’m quite good at it.”

This time, Ying Zheng turned his sarcasm toward Zhu Xiang: “Yes, my dear uncle is excellent at reading people… and then deliberately doing the opposite. ‘I know what you want, but why should I go along with it?’ That’s my uncle. When you’re the world’s greatest sage and the King of Qin’s uncle, you can do that too… Ow!”

Zhu Xiang couldn’t help but scoop up Ying Zheng and ruffle his hair. “What’s that supposed to mean? Has your uncle ever bullied you?”

Ying Zheng protested, “You’re bullying me right now!”

Zhu Xiang pinched his cheeks. “Of course not! This is your uncle showing you love.”

Ying Zheng tried to push him away. “I don’t want your love!”

The uncle and nephew started messing around, completely ignoring that Lu Buwei was sitting right there.

A trace of envy appeared in Lu Buwei’s eyes.

He thought: back when I gave that concubine, I had everything under control. If not for Zhu Xiang, I would’ve been the one closest to the young lord. I might’ve even been like a second father—then I’d have nothing to worry about!

As soon as he thought that, Ying Zheng shot him a chilling glare. Lu Buwei instinctively looked down, his heart filled with unease.

Ying Zheng snorted internally.

Lu Buwei… just like Uncle rarely loses his temper but once said, “A dog can’t stop itself from eating poop.” Deep down, Lu Buwei still regrets not replacing Uncle and becoming his “elder.”

Does he really think he’s worthy?

Though Lu Buwei hadn’t done anything yet, Ying Zheng had already decided: once he became King of Qin, he’d use the excuse that Lu Buwei never properly entered Xianyang Palace with both feet and make him retire.

Zhu Xiang had noticed Ying Zheng’s aversion toward Lu Buwei. He assumed it was because Lu Buwei wasn’t respectful enough to Xia Tong.

Zhu Xiang found it a bit of a headache.

Lu Buwei was a rare talent in economic development during the Warring States period—he’d be instrumental in managing the people after Qin unified the land. Zhu Xiang hoped Lu Buwei could become a stable and capable Qin official.

But Lu Buwei’s merchant mindset was something Ying Zheng couldn’t accept.

Especially since Lu Buwei’s buying of a concubine indirectly caused Chunhua to abandon Zhu Xiang and Xue Ji; and his aide “seducing” Chunhua led her to abandon Ying Zheng too.

Both events left Ying Zheng with a deeply negative impression of Lu Buwei.

Zhu Xiang wanted to give Lu Buwei a hint, but these things couldn’t be spoken aloud.

Right now, Lu Buwei believed he belonged in Qin because he considered himself Zichu’s benefactor and expected boundless riches and power. If he found out that Ying Zheng loathed him—and that it wouldn’t be easy to fix—that might push him to serve another state.

Lu Buwei was not someone who’d “hang himself on one tree.” He didn’t have any deep loyalty to Qin.

So Zhu Xiang could only try to guide Lu Buwei to show off his talents in front of Ying Zheng and encourage him to change his mindset. Since he was now a Qin official, he should act like one.

Lu Buwei nodded frequently. He felt that winning over Lord Changping was very worthwhile.

Lord Changping was the real “rare treasure”! As long as he gained Changping’s favor, the kindhearted lord would teach him everything about court politics.

Who else could be so generous?

Good thing he didn’t use his old phrase “rare treasure to be hoarded.” If Ying Zheng knew Lu Buwei had once included his uncle in that category, he might not just be forced into retirement—he might not live to retire.

But this journey did slightly lessen Ying Zheng’s dislike for Lu Buwei.

At least now he didn’t assume, based on the visions from Great Ying Zheng’s dream, that Lu Buwei was a talentless villain.

Lu Buwei was talented. If only he could rein himself in a bit, he could be considered a rare figure of the times. Ying Zheng’s mind was already conjuring many ways to put him to use.

He decided that once he took the throne, he’d squeeze every last drop of use out of Lu Buwei. And once Lu Buwei was exhausted, he’d cite that same excuse about the palace entrance and strip him of his post—sending him home to retire.

But he’d still grant him a fief. He wasn’t a tyrant, after all. He’d let the man have his retirement fund.

Zhu Xiang made sure that while Lu Buwei was showcasing his abilities, Han Fei and Li Si were also given chances.

Especially Li Si—future prime minister of Qin—Zhu Xiang was already making arrangements for his nephew.

But Ying Zheng, having seen Li Si’s potential from Great Ying Zheng’s dreams, didn’t seem very interested in getting close to him.

He already knew Li Si too well and felt there was no need to investigate further.

Li Si was heartbroken.

Had he failed to win the future king’s favor? Was it because he couldn’t compare to Han Fei?

His jealousy was about to eat him alive.

Why did there have to be a Han Fei stealing his glory? Han Fei’s heart wasn’t even with Qin—he’d never truly serve Qin!

Your Highness, look at me! I am the one loyal to Qin and to the future King!

Han Fei: “Li Si! Roasted rabbit, want some? There’s also five-spice braised rabbit heads!”

Li Si: “…Yes.” Eats in silence, continues seething with jealousy.