HCT – Chapter 195 Zhu Xiang Scolds King Qin

Before Zhu Xiang’s battle report even arrived, Qin King Zichu of Qin had already received news of the Chu general Xiang Yan’s crushing defeat.

The Chu army had been routed all the way to the Huai River. People across the river were already pointing fingers and gossiping—wouldn’t word reach the Qin king within just a few days?

When Qin King Zichu first heard this news, he was still laughing with Cai Ze and Lin Zhi, mocking Li Mu for indulging Zhu Xiang too much. Clearly, this city was Zhu Xiang’s idea to defend, and Li Mu ended up fighting Xiang Yan because of it.

Cai Ze said sternly, “Your Majesty, do not speak recklessly. Lord Wu Cheng is not that kind of person. If Guangling City could not be defended, he would certainly have persuaded Zhu Xiang otherwise.”

Lin Zhi laughed and said, “It wasn’t easy to secure control over the whole river route. Now that the Qin forces have withdrawn north, if it were me, I wouldn’t want to abandon it either. Guangling City sits right across from Wu Commandery, and with Qin’s powerful naval forces, it can definitely be held. I just want to see if the Chu dare attack again.”

But Qin King Zichu insisted, “It must have been that Zhu Xiang heard of Xiang Yan’s city massacre and couldn’t bear to see the people of Guangling slaughtered. That’s why he persuaded Li Mu. With Li Mu’s temperament, if he would give up other cities, he’d give up Guangling too. Don’t we already know Li Mu’s character? He always indulges Zhu Xiang the most.”

Cai Ze remained stern: “Your Majesty, Lord Wu Cheng is mature and prudent, cautious by nature. He would never allow Zhu Xiang to act recklessly in such an important matter.”

Lin Zhi still laughed: “Didn’t Xiang Yan just drag his fellow Chu generals into infighting, turning on their own people, and still call himself some great general? What a joke. See now, he collapses the moment he meets Li Mu.”

The three of them kept chattering, completely forgetting that Xunzi was also present.

Xunzi, too, was Chancellor, and this meeting required his attendance. He glanced at the three younger men, who showed no decorum either as rulers or ministers (Cai Ze: “I’m being wronged here!”), then closed his eyes.

Forget it. Not worth bothering, not like I could stop them anyway. Better not to see, so the heart won’t be vexed.

After Zhu Xiang left Xianyang, Qin King Zichu had grown much more serious. Though he still occasionally gathered with Cai Ze and Lin Zhi, it was within proper bounds—after all, there should be a difference between ruler and ministers. All three were smart enough to know where the line lay.

But now that Zhu Xiang was mentioned, Qin King Zichu relapsed into his old ways again, losing all the dignity of a king. And Cai Ze and Lin Zhi joined right in!

Xunzi shut his eyes and dozed off.

After several days of praising “How formidable our Qin’s Li Mu is,” new reports finally arrived.

“What?!” Qin King Zichu shot to his feet, then stumbled backward.

“Li Mu is still in Nanyue? It was Zhu Xiang who defended Guangling with the locals? And Qin forces had fewer than five thousand men, led by that young general, Meng Tian?!”

The king nearly fainted. His attendants rushed to steady him, shouting for the imperial physician.

After swaying twice, Qin King Zichu calmed himself, then hastily ordered a full investigation into what had really happened.

Zhu Xiang, who didn’t even dare step onto a battlefield—what nonsense about him defending a city!

The next day, more detailed news came.

The three Qin leaders held another private meeting. This time they dared not invite Xunzi—lest he be so enraged something happened to him.

Qin King Zichu clasped his hands under his chin. “Zhu Xiang defended the city, and Zheng’er pursued the enemy. What do you think of this?”

Cai Ze said, “Strip Li Mu of his marquisate.”

Lin Zhi said, “Summon Li Mu back to Xianyang for a scolding.”

Qin King Zichu inhaled sharply. “Li Mu is still in Nanyue. What could he have done? Shouldn’t it be Zhu Xiang and Zheng’er who deserve the scolding?!”

Cai Ze replied, “From what I know of Li Mu, he definitely had a hand in this.”

Lin Zhi rolled his eyes. “Most likely Zhu Xiang wanted to defend the city, so Li Mu helped him come up with a plan, and then threw in Zheng’er to grab some military merit.”

Qin King Zichu said, “But the intelligence report states that Zhu Xiang defeated Xiang Yan’s army of two hundred thousand on the second day, driving the Chu back for over a hundred li. Zheng’er’s reinforcements only intercepted them halfway.”

He paused, pressing his face into his clasped hands. “And while grabbing some merit, Zheng’er chased them all the way to the Huai River?!”

Cai Ze said, “These reports are passed by word of mouth—there could be falsehoods. Let’s wait for Zhu Xiang’s letter. He’ll explain everything clearly in writing.”

Lin Zhi sneered: “But the fact is he really did defend the city, and Zheng’er really did ride across half of Chu territory to the Huai River.”

Qin King Zichu groaned in pain, feeling dizzy again.

Cai Ze said, “Why not issue a decree summoning Lord Changping back to Xianyang to explain?”

Lin Zhi shrugged. “Lord Changping achieved great merit—what is there to explain? He should be summoned back to Xianyang to receive rewards instead. Better to send the decree to Zheng’er and scold him. The Crown Prince risked his life personally chasing the enemy—that deserves criticism.”

Qin King Zichu drew a long breath. “Yes, Zheng’er must be called back and properly reprimanded! Of all the things he could learn, why imitate Zhu Xiang of all people?!”

At once, Qin King Zichu issued a decree commanding the Crown Prince to return to Xianyang and take a scolding.

Not long after the decree was dispatched, Zhu Xiang’s battle report and personal letter arrived.

In the report, Zhu Xiang and Li Mu jointly described their plan: to keep Guangling City, build a naval port, gather the displaced Chu people from the north bank of the Yangtze, and use Guangling as a base to gradually bring the Yangtze’s waterways back under Qin’s control.

Zhu Xiang and Ying Zheng each wrote down their accounts of leading troops into battle, answering the doubts within Qin’s court and among the people about the earth-shaking military achievements of Lord Changping and the Crown Prince.

After skimming through the battle reports, Qin King Zichu gained a preliminary understanding of the war situation, and then opened Zhu Xiang’s letter.

Zhu Xiang didn’t bother with greetings. The very first lines lashed out at Qin King Zichu.

What kind of son did you raise with Xia Tong?! Do you know Zheng’er went all the way to Huai River?! He’s only fourteen years old!!

Qin King Zichu: “…”

Qin King Zichu: “For heaven’s sake! Zhu Xiang, you still have the face to scold me?!”

Lin Zhi squeezed in: “Let me see, let me see… Tch, shameless. When has Your Majesty ever raised Zheng’er? If Zheng’er turned out poorly, how could it be Your Majesty’s fault?”

Qin King Zichu shot him a glare. You think I can’t tell you’re mocking me?

He continued reading Zhu Xiang’s letter, but after a few lines he slammed it down on the table, gulping down water to quench the anger burning in his chest.

You didn’t watch over Zheng’er properly, and you write to scold me? Zhu Xiang, do you even have a shred of shame?!

Zhu Xiang had filled half a page venting his emotions—scolding Qin King Zichu, scolding Li Mu, and even dragging Lin Zhi in for corrupting Ying Zheng. Then he complained that none of the three had learned from Cai Ze; all were unreliable, and Zheng’er had been raised crooked!

Cai Ze kept coughing into his sleeve, unable to hide his smile.

Lin Zhi clutched his forehead in mock despair: “So this is our fault for being too good to him? That must be it! Your Majesty, hurry up and have Lord Changping thrown into prison, I can’t take this anymore!”

Qin King Zichu continued gulping water. This boy will be the death of me!

After downing so much water that he had to relieve himself once midway, Qin King Zichu finally finished the rest of the letter.

After venting his anger at his so-called friends for leading Ying Zheng astray, Zhu Xiang went on to describe the things not written in the battle reports.

Xiang Yan not only massacred civilians in several towns that resisted Qin troops, but also assisted the Southern Chu ruler in enforcing the internal migration order, forcing the Chu people north of the Yangtze River to relocate.

But while the Southern Chu ruler drove the people to migrate, he made no arrangements for their future livelihoods.

Zhu Xiang speculated that since the Southern Chu regime was newly established, it lacked food, money, and manpower. Likely, the ruler intended first to fleece the migrating Chu gentry by making them sell off estates and buy land, and then press the displaced refugees into service as soldiers and laborers, filling the new state’s desperate needs for conscripts and corvée.

The Southern Chu nobles would profit too, gaining both wealth and slaves.

The Jing and Zhao clans had spearheaded the rebellion, and although they succeeded in founding Southern Chu, they suffered heavy losses and were in dire need of replenishment. The migrants were their blood bags.

Zhu Xiang had written to both Xiang Yan and the Southern Chu ruler, asking them to spare the people of Guangling, to leave them a way to survive. Neither ever replied.

He also wrote to Li Mu, asking if the city could be defended. Li Mu instructed him to hold out for ten days, spread the fame of Lord Changping’s benevolence and of Xiang Yan and the Southern Chu ruler’s cruelty, and then Li Mu would march to relieve the siege—ensuring Guangling’s safety thereafter.

“So Li Mu was already in Wu Commandery,” Cai Ze exhaled in relief. “It was actually he who commanded the army. He concealed his presence so as not to steal credit from Zhu Xiang and Zheng’er.”

Qin King Zichu, displeased, said: “Zheng’er’s merits in pursuing the enemy aside, Zhu Xiang’s victories are entirely his own. What credit does Li Mu have in this?”

Cai Ze replied: “That is exactly why Li Mu hid his presence, pretending to still be in Nanyue.”

Qin King Zichu finally breathed easier: “Li Mu handled it well.”

Lin Zhi scratched his head: “Wait… so it wasn’t Li Mu who repelled Xiang Yan—it was really Zhu Xiang, with just twenty thousand men, who defeated—no, routed!—Xiang Yan’s two hundred thousand troops?! Zhu Xiang commands an army that well? Your Majesty, move aside, let me see how he fought this battle!”

Qin King Zichu was nearly shoved out of his chair.

Speechless, he stood and ceded his seat to Lin Zhi, who had completely forgotten his role as a minister. Then he squeezed Cai Ze out of his chair.

Cai Ze: “?”

What is wrong with the both of you?!

Helpless, Cai Ze went to sit where Lin Zhi had originally been.

Lin Zhi and Qin King Zichu crowded together, marveling over the letter.

“Never thought Zhu Xiang knew how to defend a city. These three layers of defenses really look impressive.”

“But the three lines of defense hardly saw use, and even hindered counterattacks. Was Xiang Yan really this incompetent?”

“Zhu Xiang says Xiang Yan was formidable, but each time he tried to rally his scattered troops, the Southern Chu ruler’s disorderly soldiers disrupted him. Nothing he could do.”

“Hahaha, Zheng’er said the same. Xiang Yan had already reformed his ranks during the retreat, but then the Southern Chu ruler lost control of his men, and they smashed through Xiang Yan’s formations.”

“Right, Southern Chu’s forces even mistook Xiang Yan’s army for Qin troops, infighting broke out badly. What a miserable mess for Xiang Yan.”

“Seems Xiang Yan does have ability, but he underestimated the enemy. He never should’ve brought the Southern Chu ruler onto the battlefield.”

The more they talked, the more triumphant they became, as though it were they who had won the battle.

Cai Ze sipped his tea in silence.

He wanted to ask: Are Zhu Xiang and Zheng’er done scolding now? If they’re finished, can I go home and catch up on sleep?

Government affairs had kept him busy these days, with only two or three hours of rest each night.

Meanwhile, Lian Po, stationed on the Qin-Chu border with his farming garrisons, heard the news even before Xianyang.

He even sent men east along the Huai River, across the waters, to verify the reports.

When he read the information his men brought back, he yanked out several strands of his own beard in disbelief.

“Didn’t that brat Zhu Xiang refuse to take the battlefield under any circumstance? And now he actually took the field himself?!”

Muttering a few words, he broke into a half-cry, half-laugh, clutching a wine jar as he faced west, drinking through the night without sleep.

“You were right again. Who would’ve thought Zhu Xiang truly had the talent of a general.”

“If I’d known earlier, I wouldn’t have opposed you. I should’ve fully supported Zhu Xiang’s entry into office. Why was I so stubborn?”

Lian Po recalled the past.

When Lin Xiangru had urged him to wholeheartedly support Zhu Xiang’s career, Lian Po had always brushed it off.

For one, he couldn’t stand Zhu Xiang’s constant complaints about avoiding the battlefield. For another, Zhu Xiang was still young, not even past his coming-of-age, with no need to rush; he should’ve been tempered more.

“Ah… you were always right. But this time, I can no longer offer you an apology with bared back and thorns.”