HCT – Chapter 68 King of Zhao’s Tears of Regret

After Lian Po was granted the title Lord of Xinping, he remained on his estate to recuperate and did not return to court.

Although the King of Zhao recognized Lian Po’s contributions to the state, his prestige had hit rock bottom following the incidents of Zhu Xiang entering Qin and the complete failure of agricultural harvests.

Lords Pingyuan and Pingyang had been pushed out of the court. Lin Xiangru had passed away, and Yu Xin, due to a misunderstanding regarding Zhu Xiang, had resigned and left. The court was now dominated by a group of ignorant and incompetent nobles.

And because they were so incompetent and inactive, they bore no responsibility for the king’s past blunders—yet they were the ones who had the last laugh.

The King of Zhao had defied opposition to grant Lian Po his noble title, but he could no longer truly put him to use.

Though massacring captives had become common during the Warring States period, and though brutal warriors were often more feared than bandits, generals like Bai Qi or Lian Po—true war gods—were still rare, and always controversial.

If a ruler lacked strength, he couldn’t protect such fearsome generals.

Clearly, the late King of Zhao could. The King of Zhao could not.

If it had been the Lian Po of a few years ago, he would’ve either stormed off to seek fortune in another country, or drowned his sorrows in daily drinking. But now, he simply carried a hoe and tilled the soil like an old farmer—he had just finished harvesting a season of millet.

When Cai Ze came to visit and told him that Qin would soon launch a ruse to sow discord, Lian Po, despite his infamous temper, wasn’t angry at all. Instead, he chuckled and said: “Lian Po is old now. Even if I go to Qin, I can no longer seize cities for the king.”

Cai Ze replied: “Zhu Xiang has submitted a memorial asking His Majesty to open a military training course at the Academy of Xianyang, and to appoint Lord Lian as the instructor.”

Lian Po’s smile faded: “Zhu Xiang meddles too much. Is he afraid the King of Zhao might harm me?”

Cai Ze shook his head: “His Majesty has a keen eye for people. Though Zhao is in decline, with you and Li Mu mentoring the younger generation, the state can enjoy decades of peace. Though His Majesty, under Zhu Xiang’s guidance, is currently pursuing peace and recovery, he still takes strategic actions to weaken rival states. Zhu Xiang persuaded His Majesty not to have you and Li Mu seize cities for Qin even if you come to Qin.”

Lian Po sat down on the edge of the field and gazed at the pastures that had now been converted into farmland: “Are you telling me all this so I won’t resent Zhu Xiang?”

Cai Ze answered: “What does this have to do with Zhu Xiang? You think he launched the ruse of sowing discord?”

Lian Po was startled—then slapped his leg and burst out laughing: “That brat? He doesn’t even know how to use a ruse!”

Cai Ze chuckled: “Then Lord Lian has guessed wrong. This time, the ruse really was designed by Zhu Xiang.”

Lian Po almost choked on his own laughter: “Cough, cough—what?!”

Cai Ze smiled and stood to bow: “Zhu Xiang said, this ruse is both an overt and covert strategy. Since he told you and Li Mu in advance, if the ruse still succeeds, then it won’t be his fault.”

Lian Po had felt some anger in his heart.

He understood that after Cai Ze joined Qin, he would of course serve the Qin King—but Cai Ze’s apparent disregard for old friendships still left him feeling dejected.

But after hearing what Cai Ze said, Lian Po sat in stunned silence for a long while, emotions churning inside. In the end, all of his complicated feelings turned into a mix of amusement and helplessness.

If Zhu Xiang had been there in person, Lian Po would’ve knocked him hard on the head, sending the brat running around clutching his skull.

“Is Zhu Xiang doing well in Qin?” Lian Po asked. “Is Zheng’er behaving?”

Cai Ze replied: “The King of Qin, the Crown Prince, Lord Ying, and Lord Wu’an all treat Zhu Xiang’s house as their sanctuary for rest and recovery. No one in Qin dares disturb him. As for Zheng’er—his courage has grown, and he’s much sturdier now. Last time I saw him, he climbed onto the Qin Crown Prince’s shoulders, nearly crushing him.”

Lian Po roared with laughter: “Hahaha! The Crown Prince actually carries him on his shoulders?”

Cai Ze said: “Yes. And the King of Qin often carries him in his arms. Lord Lian must already know that Xia Tong is Prince Zichu.”

Lian Po kept smiling. “I know.”

Cai Ze said, “Prince Zichu is still the same as Xia Tong. Even the King of Qin and the Crown Prince now call him Xia Tong.”

Lian Po replied with satisfaction, “Then Zhu Xiang truly did not misjudge him.”

He closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. “Your visit to help Li Mu and meet me—is it all part of the ruse? The King of Zhao has come to his senses. He won’t fall for it.”

Cai Ze shook his head. “I’m using Zhu Xiang’s strategy, so visiting you and Li Mu is not part of the ruse, but to reassure you both. Zhu Xiang says he doesn’t mind on the surface, but I can tell—he’s deeply afraid that you and Li Mu will come to resent him after entering Qin.”

Lian Po opened his eyes and said flatly, “Then he shouldn’t use such a ruse.”

Cai Ze said, “Zhu Xiang said, if his ruse works, it means you and Li Mu were bound to be harmed by Zhao. He’d rather be hated, if it means saving your lives. But if the ruse fails, then even if you one day oppose each other, he has no reason to invite you to Qin.”

Lian Po could no longer maintain his calm expression. Frustrated, he ran a hand through his hair and let out another deep sigh.

After a long silence, he finally said, “I’ll go find Lord Pingyuan and Lord Pingyang.”

Cai Ze bowed deeply again.

This time, he didn’t joke with Lian Po the way he did with Li Mu—about lending money for bribing court ministers. Lian Po would definitely punch him for that.

Though Cai Ze had officially left Zhao, he had actually just assumed the identity of a wealthy merchant to secretly observe the situation.

Before long, the Zhao court began to rehash Lian Po’s old incident of slaughtering a city, arguing that he must be punished—or else Zhao would be seen as unprincipled, and no scholars or warriors would ever come to serve them again.

They even used Zhu Xiang as an example: how the King of Zhao had driven him away, drawing condemnation from scholars across the realm, who now viewed the king as unworthy of their loyalty.

And now, with Lian Po accused of committing cruel and lawless acts, the reputation of both the king and the state had deteriorated even further—punishment was inevitable.

These critics were eloquent and persuasive, gaining widespread support among the scholars.

Scholars from other states, especially Wei and Han, made the most noise—as if Lian Po’s survival would turn the King of Zhao into a new tyrant like Jie of Xia or Zhou of Shang.

Lord Pingyuan and Lord Pingyang hurried back to Handan, begging the King of Zhao to reconsider.

Before the issue was even resolved, another memorial arrived—accusing Li Mu of harboring resentment over the treatment of Zhu Xiang and Lian Po, and claiming he planned to rebel.

Li Mu had already sent a thousand gold pieces to Handan to bribe high-ranking ministers to speak on his behalf.

He had just won victories defending Zhao against the Xiongnu, finally gaining fame and recognition—suddenly being accused of rebellion could only be a setup.

Moreover, if Lian Po could not be protected, then Li Mu would be Zhao’s last capable general. If he too were forced to leave, who else could lead Zhao’s armies?

Zhao would be left with no generals at all.

The King of Zhao locked himself inside the palace for several days, refusing to come out.

In less than two years, he had aged like a man ten years older. Now leaning on a cane, Zhao Sheng knocked on the door.

When the king didn’t respond, Zhao Sheng kept knocking, refusing to eat or drink for an entire day.

Finally, the king had no choice but to invite Zhao Sheng inside.

Zhao Sheng cried, “Your Majesty… are you truly going to abandon Lian Po and Li Mu?”

The King of Zhao broke down in tears alongside Zhao Sheng, handing him a sealed imperial edict.

He had written a decree summoning Lian Po to Handan as Chancellor, and offering great rewards to Li Mu, inviting him to also take up official post in Handan.

Zhao Sheng was shocked. “This… you’ve already written the edict. Why haven’t you issued it?”

The King of Zhao knelt on the floor, bowing his head low in agony.

“Uncle… my edict… I can’t issue it anymore! They’ve taken that power from me!”

Zhao Sheng froze—then his body slumped.

The King of Zhao cried out: “They all say I’m unfit to rule. The royal clans have banded together to strip me of power. If I order harm to Lian Po or Li Mu, they’ll immediately issue decrees in my name. But if I order protection for Lian Po and Li Mu, they say I was too foolish before and that my commands cannot be trusted. I have no way out, no way out at all! Uncle, please save me, please save the State of Zhao!”

Zhao Sheng gritted his teeth. “I’ll go find Lord Lian. I’ll go find Li Mu. I’ll have them bring troops into Handan!”