HCT – Chapter 160 Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Although the King of Chu styled himself as a barbarian, the political structure of Chu was among the most faithful to the Zhou system. Every generation of Chu kings would grant fiefs to their sons. Once granted, members of the royal clan would take their fiefdom’s name as their own clan name.

As a result, the descendants of the Mi (芈) lineage eventually formed over a hundred noble clans. These clans laid the foundation for Chu’s aristocratic and feudal hierarchy. The vast state of Chu was essentially a miniature version of the Eastern Zhou dynasty.

Because most of the fief-holding lords were descendants of the Mi clan, weakening the old aristocracy was extremely difficult for the Chu kings. Therefore, rulers across generations would selectively support a few leading clans among the Mi to play them against each other—fostering one faction to suppress another—in order to maintain their own position as “leader.” Otherwise, they wouldn’t even have enough land to hand out.

In the early Western Zhou, the leading clans among Chu’s nobility were the Dou, Qu, Cheng, and Wei families. Later, one of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn period, King Zhuang of Chu, to consolidate power, wiped out the Dou and Cheng clans, leaving the Qu and Wei clans equally matched. King Ling of Chu later dealt a heavy blow to the Wei clan, and his successor propped up the rising Rui clan to counterbalance the Qu. But after the Rui clan declined and the Qu were severely weakened, new powers rose.

By the late Spring and Autumn period, the Jing and Zhao clans rose as the Qu clan was left depleted. Entering the Warring States era, Chu became known for the “Three Clans of Chu”—Jing, Zhao, and Qu—each with significant regional control, forming a tripartite balance.

When the King of Chu convened his ministers to discuss how to deal with the rebellion of the feudal lords, Lin Zhi sat cross-legged, cracking roasted pumpkin seeds while talking about how he had made use of the Qu clan.

“Like Zhu Xiang, I initially believed that if the Jing, Zhao, or Qu clans were given the chance, any of them would try to establish independence. But after arriving in Chu and studying the situation carefully, I realized the Qu clan currently doesn’t have the strength to do so.”

Lin Zhi flicked a seed kernel into the small dish in front of Ying Zheng, then peeled another and popped it into his own mouth.

Ying Zheng was cracking and eating his own seeds, but once the kernels Lin Zhi had prepared piled into a little heap, he grabbed them all and tossed them into his mouth—making Zichu frown deeply.

Back when they weren’t spending much time together, Zichu had only seen Ying Zheng’s admirable side. But now, after spending days and nights in each other’s company, Zichu was starting to notice all the strange habits the overly pampered boy had developed.

Ying Zheng noticed Zichu glaring at him.

He glanced at the pile of kernels in front of him, then turned to Zhu Xiang and said, “Uncle, the King wants you to shell seeds for him.”

Zhu Xiang had a seed in his mouth and mumbled, “Huh?”

He looked toward Zichu, who deadpanned, “I didn’t.”

Zhu Xiang caught on and said, “Zheng’er, what your father means is that you should share half of your shelled seeds with him.”

Now it was Ying Zheng’s turn to go, “Huh?”

Still, he wasn’t stingy. Without hesitation, he generously split the kernels with Zichu.

Lin Zhi grumbled, “Your Majesty, you’re a grown man—fighting your son over snacks?”

Zichu protested, “I didn’t! I was criticizing you for spoiling him!”

Lin Zhi replied, “What’s so spoiling about cracking a few seeds? Zhu Xiang, shell some for His Majesty.”

“Oh.” Zhu Xiang swiftly shelled a small pile of seeds and placed them in front of Zichu.

Zichu was speechless once more.

Cai Ze was even more speechless. He rubbed his forehead and said, “We’re supposed to be discussing state matters, not indulging in post-meal banter. Could you all be a bit more serious and stop derailing the discussion?”

Lin Zhi tossed another kernel in front of Ying Zheng. “Right, back to the point. After the Qu and Rui clans both suffered losses, the Qu clan was suppressed by the rising Jing and Zhao clans. To hold onto their position, the Qu chose to align themselves with the King of Chu, becoming his strongest noble supporters. During the reign of King Huai of Chu—”

When Lin Zhi mentioned “King Huai of Chu,” both he and Zichu shared a knowing smile.

Zhu Xiang looked baffled. What are they smiling about? Did they just recall some hellish joke?

All those immoral things the old King of Qin did, and you two aren’t ashamed—you’re actually proud of them?

Cai Ze quickly jumped in before Lin Zhi could go off-topic again. “You mean the Qu clan was the strongest backer of King Huai of Chu?”

Lin Zhi smiled, “Yes. When King Huai decided to attack Qin or enter Qin, the leading ministers of Chu at the time, Qu Yuan and Zhao Sui, strongly opposed it. But the Qu clan still obeyed King Huai’s orders and fought seriously against Qin. The Zhao clan, on the other hand, colluded with the Jing clan and deliberately sabotaged the campaign, causing Chu to lose the advantage and turn a victory into defeat. Most of the Qu’s forces perished on the battlefield.”

Zichu said, “Even without those two dragging things down, Qin would’ve won.”

Lin Zhi shot Zichu a look.

Zichu cleared his throat and added, “But the victory wouldn’t have come so easily. Fighting over power even on the battlefield—truly disgraceful.”

Cai Ze said, “Most feudal lords only fight for their own territories and interests. That kind of thing happens all the time.”

Zhu Xiang nodded. “Qin has done it too.”

Zichu wanted to argue but remembered that during King Zhaoxiang of Qin’s time, some fief-holders had indeed done the same. Unhappy, he stuffed all the kernels Zhu Xiang had shelled into his mouth.

Zhu Xiang kept shelling more for him and joked, “You and Zheng’er are practically the same, yet you still have the nerve to say he’s spoiled.”

Ying Zheng nodded inwardly. Exactly, exactly.

Cai Ze quickly tried to steer the discussion back on track: “The head of the Qu clan at that time was Qu Yuan, the one who drowned himself?”

Lin Zhi replied, “Yes. Even now, the Qu clan still cries injustice for him. After King Huai’s son, King Qingxiang, took the throne, the Qu clan—having lost most of its power—was abandoned. Though they’re still counted among the three great clans of Chu, in reality, they’re far less influential than the Jing and Zhao clans. Chu is now essentially dominated by those two.”

Zichu took a sip of plain tea and swallowed the mouthful of kernels. To abandon the loyal and embrace the cunning—was the King of Chu incompetent, or simply shameless?

He wiped his mouth and asked, “Does the Qu clan hate the Jing and Zhao?”

Lin Zhi smiled. “They act very close with the Jing and Zhao clans. After all, they were one family a few hundred years ago. And of course—family members don’t hate each other.”

A few hundred years ago… one family… The three of them all chuckled and shook their heads.

Ying Zheng didn’t laugh. He frowned slightly and set down the pumpkin seed kernels in his hand. “If the Qu clan were given the chance, they’d definitely want to suppress the Jing and Zhao clans again. But what makes them so sure they’d succeed? How do they know they won’t end up completely destroyed themselves?”

Lin Zhi smugly pointed to himself. “They’ll be relying on that old white-haired fellow in Chu—the one who rivals Lord Changping.”

Zhu Xiang began clapping enthusiastically. Cai Ze, Zichu, and Ying Zheng all looked at him in confusion.

Zhu Xiang looked confused too. “Wait… wasn’t that the part where I was supposed to clap for Lin Li?”

The three of them: “……”

Zichu turned to Ying Zheng and said seriously, “Some of your uncle’s habits—you are absolutely not allowed to imitate.”

Ying Zheng’s mouth twitched. “I’m not going to learn that.”

Cai Ze rubbed his temples and sighed. “Zhu Xiang, do you think this is a storytelling session? Be serious.”

Lin Zhi said, “Why so serious? I also think this is a good time for applause.”

Cai Ze gritted his teeth and cursed, “Shut up!”

Lin Zhi chuckled. “Alright, alright, I’ll shut up. I’ve shut up now, so do you all still want to hear my report on the matter in Chu?”

Cai Ze said, “Report properly. No interruptions. Zhu Xiang, stop nodding like that—you too!”

Zichu shot Zhu Xiang a mocking glance.

Zhu Xiang threw a handful of melon seed shells at Zichu.

Cai Ze glared.

Zhu Xiang and Zichu sat up straight.

Cai Ze sighed again in his heart and said, “Continue. Finish it in one go this time.”

Lin Zhi said, “There’s not much left to say anyway.”

The Qu clan represented the oldest Mi-surnamed nobility of Chu, Lord Chunshen represented the rising gentry, and Lin Zhi had now brought in the military clan of the Xiang family—together forming the “perfect” team for the King of Chu.

The Xiang clan was originally of the Ji surname. During the Spring and Autumn period, they were granted the fief of Xiang and founded the Xiang state, which was later destroyed by the state of Lu. The Xiang nobles fled south to Chu, took their former state name as their surname, and served as generals in Chu for generations. The King of Chu granted them a fief, also called “Xiang lands,” to continue their ancestral rites.

Although the Xiang clan had long established roots in Chu, in a system where generations of Mi-surnamed royal kin were granted fiefs, it was almost impossible for clans of other surnames to attain high positions. Even in military campaigns, it was always Mi-surnamed lords who served as commanders, while those of other surnames were sent to charge ahead and die. Resentment had built up among these lords of other surnames for a long time.

The Xiang clan, being both of a different surname and a military family, was the perfect representative of that group.

“I made contact with a young man from the Xiang clan named Xiang Yan. He’s quite talented—likely the next head of the clan,” Lin Zhi said. “Talented people are often proud. I just talked to him about all the defeats Chu has suffered at the hands of Qin, from King Huai of Chu to the current king. He immediately got involved and started cursing the commanders for their incompetence. He declared angrily that if he were the commander, he would definitely be able to resist Qin.”

Ying Zheng said with a bad attitude, “Oh? Able to stand against Lord Bai? That impressive? I’ll go tell Lord Bai right away.”

Cai Ze shot him a glance. Ying Zheng, who had interrupted midway, quickly raised his teacup to cover his mouth.

Lin Zhi said, “Whether he’s capable or not depends on whether he can help the King of Chu suppress the rebellion.”

Zichu asked, “And if he really is capable, and he helps suppress the rebellion, then what?”

Lin Zhi smiled. “That’s exactly what I want. If he helps the King of Chu quell the rebellion, then Li Mu and Wang Jian will be forced to negotiate. Toppling Chu doesn’t benefit Qin—Qin can’t digest that much territory right now, and it would just benefit the other five states. We want Chu to retain its current territory, but remain mired in division. That aligns best with Your Majesty’s goals.”

Zichu thought for a moment, then smiled. “True. Zhu Xiang, what do you think?”

Zhu Xiang, who was peeling melon seeds, looked up. “I wasn’t thinking anything.”

Everyone: “……”

Zichu slapped the table. “Start thinking now!”

“Oh.” Zhu Xiang brushed the seed crumbs off her hands. “Li Mu will likely send cavalry to harass Chu. Even if the Qu clan, the Xiang clan, and Lord Chunshen support the king in quelling the rebellion, if their own fiefs are threatened, they’ll prioritize defending them. If someone persuades them to negotiate at that point, they’ll definitely agree. But who are you going to send? Someone from Qin probably won’t work.”

Zichu smirked. “You can think. Lin Li, since you came up with this plan, I assume you’ve already decided who will go persuade the King of Chu. But will he really agree to establishing another state within Chu?”

Lin Zhi said, “The King of Chu won’t agree. But others who want to be king will agree. Didn’t the King of Chu father an eldest son while he was held hostage in Qin? That son is now an adult.”

Ying Zheng’s eyelid twitched, the corner of his mouth drooping.

Prince Changping—Xiong Qi.

He hadn’t been granted the title of Prince Changping yet, but he had already shown promise in the military.

He was the son of the King of Chu and a noblewoman from the Qin royal clan. After the king left, he was raised like a Qin prince, and everyone in Qin treated him as such. That was why, in Ying Zheng’s dream, he had respected him like an elder. Even when he showed discontent about Qin attacking Chu, he was merely exiled.

But Ying Zheng’s leniency ended up allowing Prince Changping to cut off Li Xin’s retreat, causing Li Xin to suffer a crushing defeat.

Ying Zheng recalled the “memories” from his dream. The general from Chu who defeated Li Xin seemed to be named Xiang Yan? Uncle Lin really had a good eye for people.

“Let Xiong Qi return to Chu?” Zichu hesitated. “He’s loyal to Qin and not close to Chu.”

Lin Zhi said, “Your Majesty, this has nothing to do with where his heart lies. He’d be going back to be King of Chu.”

Zhu Xiang interjected, “You’re asking that? You, of all people, should understand how he feels.”

Zichu said, “Oh, you mean how I felt when I was a hostage prince? That’s true. As a son abandoned by his royal father, to return and become king would certainly be a glorious comeback.”

He paused and added, “And now, I have made a glorious comeback.”

Zhu Xiang patted Zichu on the shoulder but said nothing to comfort him.

Zichu took a moment to compose himself, then said, “Alright. Let Xiong Qi go back. Will we just let him return directly?”

Lin Zhi said, “Of course not. He must escape back.”

Zichu raised an eyebrow. “Another rare commodity to exploit?”

Lin Zhi said, “Isn’t that perfect?”

Cai Ze said, “Prince Qi is doing quite well right now. He may not be eager to return.”

Lin Zhi replied smugly, “But what if the White-Headed Elder’s disciple begs him to return and save Chu?”

Everyone fell silent for a moment, then Zichu took the lead in applauding Lin Zhi.

Cai Ze sighed and slowly clapped along.

The King of Qin had already been corrupted by Zhu Xiang—what else could he do? He couldn’t just resign and retire.

“Right now, only a young son remains by the King of Chu’s side. If something happens to him, the kingdom will definitely fall into chaos,” a Chu man wept on his knees. “Your Highness is the King’s eldest son—his only adult son. Please return to Chu!”

The others also knelt and cried out, “We beg the young master to return to Chu!”

Xiong Qi clenched his fists tightly and paced back and forth before sighing. “Even if I wanted to return to Chu, how could I? This is the Qin state—back then even Lord Shang couldn’t escape once he tried to flee.”

The leader among them kowtowed heavily and said, “I have a plan. I’ve found someone with a similar build and appearance to the young master. He can pretend to be you, bedridden with illness, while you leave the state of Qin using his identity!”

Xiong Qi still hesitated.

Qin law was harsh—if he were caught, not even his identity as a Chu prince might save his life.

But with Chu in turmoil, if he returned, he would definitely be made Crown Prince. That temptation was difficult to resist.

Xiong Qi said, “Let me think it over. The King of Qin is currently in Xianyang. I don’t dare leave rashly.”

As Xiong Qi wavered, the Qin king Zichu, though still in mourning, began touring the country to reassure the people. He wanted the people of Qin to know that even with a new king, their lives would not change.

King Zichu also brought with him the new land laws, promoting agricultural reforms and ensuring that families of fallen soldiers would be cared for.

On his first state tour, the young king brought along Chancellor Cai Ze, Prime Minister Lin Zhi, and Lord Changping Zhu Xiang, leaving only the young crown prince behind to oversee the country with Xunzi’s guidance.

Perhaps because Zichu had been a political hostage, he was especially fond of ceremony now that he held power.

During the tour, he took most of the city guards from Xianyang with him.

Those pleading for Xiong Qi to return to Chu urged him again to seize the opportunity and go.

“Young master, look—this is a letter from the clan heads of the Xiang and Qu families,” the Chu man said. “They all support your return and your claim to be the Crown Prince of Chu! You are the son of the Chu king and a noblewoman of Qin—your blood binds the two states. If you become King of Chu, perhaps even Qin will not attack us first. Young master, we beg you to return!”

Seeing that the timing was perfect, Xiong Qi thought to himself: could this be fate? He sighed and said, “I can only apologize to my mother.”

Naturally, he could not bring his mother along when sneaking back to Chu. Still, since she was a noblewoman of Qin, she should remain safe even if he left quietly.

Once he became king, he would have her brought to Chu and made the Queen Dowager.

Xiong Qi was a decisive man. Once he made up his mind, he disguised himself and departed swiftly, taking no possessions—his actions showed great resolve.

When Zichu and his officials learned of this, they couldn’t help but comment that this young man’s temperament was perhaps more suited to kingship than the current King of Chu.

“Did I just release a tiger back into the mountains?” Zichu asked. “He seems quite capable.”

Lin Zhi replied, “Your Majesty, with us by your side, and generals like Li Mu and Wang Jian on the Chu border—this isn’t a tiger back to the mountains. This is a tiger back in its cage.”

Zichu chuckled. “I like that metaphor.”

Zhu Xiang said, “He does have courage and decisiveness. Given time, he might turn things around in Chu. But time is exactly what Chu doesn’t have.”

Lin Zhi remarked, “Not necessarily—unless Your Majesty suddenly becomes incompetent.”

Cai Ze punched him. “Shut up!”

He bowed to Zichu. “Your Majesty, Lin Zhi speaks recklessly. Please punish him!”

Zichu mused, “Hmm… his punishment is to have only porridge for the next meal. Now, continue. I’m the King of Qin—he won’t get the chance.”

Zhu Xiang added, “At a time like this, saying ‘I, the lonely one’ [referring to himself as king] has more authority.”

Zichu stood with his hands behind his back, head held high, and said, “I, the lonely king of Qin, shall bring ruin to Chu!”

Zhu Xiang and Lin Zhi clapped in support while Cai Ze sighed speechlessly from the side.

He really wanted to ask Lin Zhi—didn’t you say that from now on, the King of Qin is no longer Xia Tong, but a monarch, and that ministers must maintain decorum? So now, are you the only one ignoring that rule? Have you forgotten your own words?

Though frustrated, Cai Ze still tried to maintain proper decorum in his interactions with Zichu and occasionally had to rein in the overfamiliar Lin Zhi and Zhu Xiang.

Especially Zhu Xiang.

You spar with the King of Qin in swordsmanship every day—is that really appropriate? Even if you say it’s to keep him fit, it’s still too much!

Cai Ze was exhausted.

Unaware of how drained his chancellor was, Zichu smiled and said, “Now that Xiong Qi has returned to Chu to vie for the Crown Prince title, Lord Chunshen must be troubled. I remember, isn’t the current Crown Prince’s mother the woman Lord Chunshen offered up?”

Lin Zhi laughed, “Of course he’s troubled. But there’s nothing he can do—Prince Qi is the eldest son.”

Zhu Xiang added, “Not necessarily. Since Prince Qi’s mother is a Qin noblewoman, he might use that as an excuse to block the king from replacing the Crown Prince.”

Lin Zhi shook his head. “He won’t. Right now, Chu needs a fully grown heir.”

Everyone fell silent for a moment.

Zichu said flatly, “If he doesn’t oppose the change, then I’ll think more highly of him.”

Cai Ze nodded. “He will truly live up to the title of Lord Chunshen.”

Zhu Xiang thought to himself: but if Lord Chunshen doesn’t oppose it, will Prince Qi show him any gratitude once he becomes king?

That might be unlikely.

Xiong Qi returned to Chu without much trouble.

Perhaps because the man impersonating him looked too similar, no one recognized the switch.

Although Qin had tried to prevent merchants from trading with Chu, the profits were too great—some still took the risk.

There were many smuggling caravans near the Qin border. Even if they ran into Chu soldiers during skirmishes, the soldiers often turned a blind eye and let them through.

After all, the nobles they served were eagerly awaiting these goods.

Xiong Qi joined one such caravan and smoothly arrived at the Chu capital.

The Chu king had originally planned to move the capital to Shouchun, and the construction there was almost complete. But the ongoing unrest in Chu had disrupted his plans. Thus, Xiong Qi arrived at the current capital, Chen, still relatively close to the Qin border.

Upon entering the capital, the first person Xiong Qi met was not a member of the Xiang or Qu clans who supported him, but Lord Chunshen himself.

When Xiong Qi saw Lord Chunshen blocking his path, his heart tightened.

He knew the current Crown Prince was Lord Chunshen’s man—Lord Chunshen was his rival for the throne. If Lord Chunshen had come with troops, Xiong Qi might be in danger.

Lord Chunshen quietly looked at him and asked, “Is the one in the carriage Prince Qi?”

Xiong Qi gritted his teeth and stepped out. “Yes.”

Lord Chunshen sighed. “You have great courage, Prince Qi.”

Xiong Qi replied, “Since I dared return from Qin, my courage is not in question.”

Lord Chunshen looked at him for a while, then smiled with understanding. “Just like His Majesty back in the day.”

He bowed deeply. “Please, Prince Qi, return to the palace.”

Xiong Qi stared at the bowing Lord Chunshen and said nothing.

Lord Chunshen repeated, “Please return, Prince Qi. His Majesty is waiting in the palace for your arrival.”

Still, Xiong Qi did not move.

Lord Chunshen sighed, removed the sword at his waist, knelt, and presented it to Xiong Qi with both hands.

“Please return to the palace—Chu needs you,” Lord Chunshen said, looking up. “I am Lord Chunshen of Chu. Please be at ease.”

Xiong Qi looked at Lord Chunshen deeply, then accepted the sword and fastened it at his waist. He reached out with both hands and helped Lord Chunshen to his feet. “Please rise, Lord Chunshen.”

Lord Chunshen stood and escorted Xiong Qi to a spacious carriage.

Inside, court attire for a Chu prince was already prepared, and servants were waiting to help him change and groom himself.

Lord Chunshen personally drove the carriage. Along the way, people craned their necks to see.

Someone informed the onlookers that the prince who had been held hostage in Qin had returned. Their king now had an adult son.

The people of Chu looked visibly relieved.

Though the king remained in good health, with the nation in chaos, it was always worrisome not to have an adult heir.

“From what I know of Lord Chunshen, he likely will compromise,” Zhu Xiang said. “But even if he wants to step back, will those behind him let him?”

Chu now had a new adult prince—born of a Qin noblewoman—who had courageously returned from Qin. From every angle, Prince Qi was the rightful Crown Prince.

Lord Chunshen’s plan to control the future king and preserve the wealth and power of his faction had completely failed.

Would his backers accept that?

“Of course not,” Lin Zhi said. “Even among the Xiang and Qu clans, not everyone wants to see a capable king rise. They support the king for their own interests, not for the king’s sake.”

Cai Ze said, “With Prince Qi’s return, it may look like Chu has gained stability—but in reality, more conflict is brewing.”

Zichu stretched and rolled his shoulders. “Let’s head back to Xianyang.”

Though the chaos in Chu hadn’t officially ended, in truth—it had.

It was time to return to the palace.