HCT – Chapter 96 Tea Stains on the Table

Zhu Xiang was locked up.

Meng Wu himself could hardly believe it. I’ve really done it! I actually pulled it off!

Li Mu turned the Qin King’s decree over in his hands, frowning. “Doesn’t this wording seem a bit… informal?”

Meng Wu rubbed his nose, a little embarrassed. “Ah, well, there’s a… complicated reason for that.”

He explained to Li Mu how he’d gotten drunk, made wild promises, was egged on by Lin Zhi and Prince Zichu into signing and stamping the decree, and how even Crown Prince Zhu and the Qin King ended up getting involved.

“I really didn’t expect that decree to actually get used,” Meng Wu said. “Zhu Xiang is just too unruly—even His Majesty can’t help but worry about him.”

Li Mu’s mouth twitched. “Indeed.”

Zhu Xiang was troublesome enough to make the Qin King lose sleep—truly a piece of work.

“I was originally planning to follow you to E Yi, maybe earn a few military merits,” Meng Wu continued. “Who’d have thought I’d end up earning merit thanks to Zhu Xiang instead? Your naval troops are impressive. Once things with Zhu Xiang are settled, I’d like to spend more time with the fleet.”

Li Mu said, “No need to wait. Yunmeng Marsh needs naval forces as well—I’ll assign you a unit.”

Meng Wu didn’t decline. “Alright.”

Li Mu then asked about Xunzi and Lian Po’s situation back in Xianyang.

Meng Wu replied, “Master Xun and Lord Lian are in good health. Lord Bai even grumbled that Lian Po’s still strong enough to return to the battlefield. Seems Lord Lian’s getting a bit restless himself and is considering a trip up north.”

Li Mu said, “Lord Lian is good at defense—sending him to the northern border is suitable. But the conditions are harsh there. I worry his health may not withstand it.”

Meng Wu nodded. “He’s still undecided. But he’s doing well at the Xianyang Academy. His voice is still loud when scolding people.”

Li Mu chuckled. “If he’s got the energy to scold, then he’s still in good shape.”

Meanwhile, Zhu Xiang leaned against the window and sighed helplessly. “You two really have to lock me inside and then stand by the window chatting like I’m not even here?”

Meng Wu and Li Mu completely ignored him, treating him like air.

Zhu Xiang let out a long sigh. How old are these two again? Why are they acting like sulking children playing the ‘ignore you’ game?

Even though Zhu Xiang had made logical arguments and convinced Meng Wu and Li Mu, that didn’t mean his friends weren’t still angry.

Zhang Ruo came with hands behind his back to visit the courtyard where Zhu Xiang was under house arrest. Watching Zhu Xiang mutter and grumble as he dug up all the flowers in the garden to plant vegetables, he couldn’t help but laugh. “Looks like you’re adapting well to life in confinement.”

“Please, Lord Zhang, don’t mock me,” Zhu Xiang sighed, leaning on his hoe. “Who knows when Meng Wu will let me out.”

Zhang Ruo smiled. “Soon.”

Zhu Xiang perked up. “Oh? He’s had a change of heart?”

Zhang Ruo just smiled wordlessly.

Zhu Xiang sighed again. Why do I feel like Lord Zhang has gone bad too?

Zhang Ruo hadn’t gone bad. He just found himself increasingly fond of Zhu Xiang, Meng Wu, and Li Mu after witnessing their friendship. These three young officials in the court were something else.

The court was full of schemes and power plays. Even his friendship with Sima Cuo was laced with the complexities of family and factional interests. The Qin King, in particular, was wary of ministers forming cliques, so Zhang Ruo couldn’t get too close to anyone—even Sima Cuo.

But these three—Zhu Xiang, Meng Wu, and Li Mu—their friendship was like the deep bonds described in folk tales and historical records. Just watching them brought warmth to the heart.

Zhang Ruo knew Meng Wu. In the eyes of outsiders, Meng Wu was a stern, even slightly wooden man. He didn’t have exceptional military talent, but he was careful and low-key, and had long understood how to protect himself—earning the Qin King’s deep trust.

Li Mu, on the other hand, was sharp and self-assured, confident in his abilities, especially in military matters—so much so that he often stuck to his own views. He was quite similar to Lord Bai in that regard.

But ever since the three had grown close, Meng Wu had become quite talkative and fond of boasting to his friends; while Li Mu had mellowed significantly, even blushing modestly when praised.

This contrast was endlessly entertaining to Zhang Ruo—he never tired of watching it.

Only Zhu Xiang remained unchanged—warm and cheerful to both friends and strangers alike. No wonder his friends worried about him. Someone who couldn’t fake a thing in the court was bound to suffer.

“Lord Zhang, don’t go! Is Meng Wu really going to let me out? He’s not planning something shady, is he?” Zhu Xiang leaned out the window, shouting.

Zhang Ruo stroked his beard and smiled as he walked away.

The Qin soldier guarding Zhu Xiang covered his mouth with one hand, struggling not to laugh.

Lord Zhu Xiang was just too amusing. Ever since he’d been assigned to guard him, he found himself fighting laughter every single day.

And Zhu Xiang’s bad feeling turned out to be right.

One sunny afternoon, while he was sprawled out snoring on a bamboo bed, his door was suddenly kicked open with a loud thud.

Zhu Xiang jolted awake, nearly leaping out of his skin.

“Uncle!!” a shrill child’s voice pierced his ears, making his heart jump again just as it settled.

“Huh? Zheng’er? Why are you here?” Zhu Xiang patted his chest. “Am I dreaming?”

Ying Zheng, having kicked the door in, ran straight to the bed. “Uncle sees me and thinks he’s having a nightmare? I’m a nightmare?!”

Zhu Xiang said awkwardly, “You showing up at this time definitely feels like a nightmare.”

Ying Zheng pounded the bed with his fists. “So you knew I’d be angry! And you still went to the battlefield!”

Zhu Xiang quietly covered his ears.

Here we go again. That same line—again.

Li Bing followed slowly in after him. “Lord Zhu Xiang, or should I call you General Zhu Xiang now? Congratulations on your glorious victory.”

Even with his ears covered, Zhu Xiang could hear the sarcasm dripping from Li Bing’s voice.

He dropped his hands and sighed. “Please, just stop. I’m already under house arrest by Meng Wu with the Qin King’s decree. Can’t you spare me some pity?”

Li Bing’s smile vanished, his face turning cold. “I understand how you feel. And I know you’re telling the truth—maybe you were the only one who could’ve done it. But why rush? Even if it had to be done, couldn’t you have discussed it with us first?”

“Exactly! It was just breaking a mountain and smashing a temple!” Ying Zheng gave him a headbutt right into his chest. “I’ve done that in my dreams—I can do it too!”

Zhu Xiang caught his chubby nephew, who hadn’t even bothered to take his shoes off, and groaned, “Oof… Heavier again… Wait—huh? Zheng’er, have you lost weight?”

He lifted Ying Zheng up, then wore a stricken expression like he’d been struck by lightning. 

“Zheng’er, you’ve gotten thinner! Li Bing!!! I left Zheng’er in your care, and this is how you look after him?!”

He put down Ying Zheng and gently rubbed the boy’s chubby, baby-fat cheeks with heartache.

Fortunately, his chubby little nephew’s face was still round and soft—but definitely lighter!

He had held Ying Zheng since he was a baby and raised him—he could tell even the slightest change in weight!

“This is your fault,” Li Bing said. “Ever since Zheng’er heard you went to the battlefield, he’s lost his appetite.”

Ying Zheng added, “Right! It’s all Uncle’s fault!”

“I was wrong, I really was wrong. Next time, I’ll discuss it with you all before making a decision,” Zhu Xiang immediately admitted his mistake.

But even though he admitted fault—he’d still dare to do it again next time.

In an emergency, how could he afford to wait? If they didn’t send troops while the enemy was still unaware, and the witches and shamans incited the villagers to hide deep in the mountains, the Qin army would have a hard time dragging them out again.

Hearing his uncle’s very sincere apology, Ying Zheng’s soft little face twitched, and finally he let out an aged, sighing breath.

No elder would ever apologize to a child this sincerely. But also—no one else could apologize this sincerely every time and still be so untrustworthy.

Uncle, aren’t you afraid you’ll be a bad influence on kids?

Though I personally won’t be led astray by you.

Li Bing also had no way to deal with Zhu Xiang.

He was a gentleman with a very good temper. The moment he scolded Zhu Xiang, Zhu Xiang would admit fault—how was he supposed to stay angry like that?

Li Bing sat down by the bed and sighed. “Your goal’s already been achieved. General Meng has arrived—you don’t need to go to the battlefield anymore.”

Zhu Xiang replied, “I know.”

Ying Zheng sat on Zhu Xiang’s lap and kicked his shoes off, tossing them to the floor. “Uncle, do you really know?”

Zhu Xiang laughed, “Of course. This matter isn’t over yet. I’ll just be switching to a different kind of battlefield. Zheng’er, want to help?”

Ying Zheng leaned against Zhu Xiang’s chest and looked up. “Huh? Okay.”

Only then did Li Bing truly relax.

If it was something that Ying Zheng could help with, then it probably wasn’t dangerous.

“What exactly are you going to do? Anything I can help with?” Li Bing asked.

Zhu Xiang replied, “Yes. When you return to Chengdu, help me find some folk singers and storytellers—people who can compose songs and tales. I want them to spread some stories.”

Li Bing asked in confusion, “Stories?”

Zhu Xiang said, “Stories that punish evil and promote good.”

Li Bing thought for a moment, then smiled. “I see—stories that punish evil gods and praise kind ones, right?”

Zhu Xiang nodded.

Ying Zheng asked, “Why not write stories about wise mortals beheading evil gods? Isn’t that more your style—humans challenging deities?”

Zhu Xiang rubbed his little nephew’s head, which he hadn’t gotten to pat in a while, and smiled, “I’ll write those stories myself. That’s my Zheng’er—so bold!”

“Indeed,” Li Bing said. “He’s a lot like you.”

Zhu Xiang waggled his eyebrows. “How about I write a few stories where you slay river gods while controlling floods?”

Li Bing was stunned. “Me?”

Zhu Xiang said, “When Yu the Great managed the floods, he dredged rivers and slew evil spirits blocking the waterways. So as the governor of Shu, managing the rivers, surely you’d encounter some mountain or river spirits in your way, right? Don’t you think so, Zheng’er?”

Ying Zheng exclaimed, “Uncle, make one for me too! I love that!”

Zhu Xiang laughed. “You got it—leave it to your uncle!”

Li Bing held his forehead. “Whatever you want.”

“This sounds like fun—write me a few too,” Meng Wu said as he swaggered into the room. “Congratulations, Lord Zhu Xiang. With young Lord Zheng vouching for you, you can leave now… Hey! Did you just throw a pillow at me? Careful or I’ll lock you up again! I do have a royal decree!”

He threw the pillow back.

Li Bing caught it for Zhu Xiang and gently set it aside.

Zhu Xiang scolded, “What royal decree? Wasn’t it something you scribbled while drunk?”

Meng Wu said, “The seal is real—so it counts as a royal edict. What, you don’t accept it? Zheng’er, what should we do if your uncle doesn’t obey?”

Ying Zheng tugged on Zhu Xiang’s dangling hair. “Complain to Great-Grandfather!”

“Stop, stop, stop—don’t pull!” Zhu Xiang rescued his hair from Ying Zheng’s grip. “You’re done already? Aren’t you still at war?”

Meng Wu replied, “Those few small states have all agreed to only worship the gods recognized by the King of Qin. The only ones left are a few scattered bandits—no need for me to personally act. Of course I came to greet young Prince Zheng. Zheng’er, you’ve grown so much!”

Without ceremony, he scooped Ying Zheng up from Zhu Xiang’s arms and bounced him. “You’ve grown!”

Ying Zheng giggled. “Thank you, Uncle Meng, for locking up my uncle in time. When I grow up, I’ll write edicts too. If Uncle wants to go somewhere dangerous, I’ll lock him up!”

Zhu Xiang covered his face. “Hey hey, Zheng’er, don’t pick up bad habits.”

Meng Wu said, “You deserved it. I already sent a report to Xianyang—just wait till you get back for your beating.”

To be honest, Meng Wu did want to beat Zhu Xiang. But Li Mu was right—the two of them were so strong that even if they held back, they might accidentally injure Zhu Xiang. Better to leave that to the elders.

Who knew how many ruler-sticks Xunzi would need—he might even break a few from sheer rage. Better prepare extras.

“Fine, fine, it’s all my fault.” Zhu Xiang threw on a coat. “So I can finally leave now?”

“Yes,” Meng Wu replied. “But I know you can’t sit still. Whatever you plan to do next, tell me in advance—I’ll send someone to protect you.”

Zhu Xiang said, “It’s nothing dangerous. I’m just finding people to write stories. No need for protection.”

Meng Wu immediately responded, “I heard you say outside that you’re writing stories of mortals slaying gods? Write a few for me too!”

“Yes, yes, we have both.” Zhu Xiang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

People of this era should have deep reverence for the gods, with elaborate and heartfelt rituals, and a strong belief in ghosts and deities.

But why did they all get so excited whenever it came to slaying gods?

It seems the habit of the Huaxia people to challenge the heavens was etched deep into their ancestral bloodline.

Their ancestors really carved all kinds of chaotic traits into their descendants without a second thought.

“But Zheng’er, you can’t let your uncle fool you so easily.” Meng Wu handed Ying Zheng back to Zhu Xiang with a mischievous tone. “Do you know how worn out he looked when I saw him? If I hadn’t forced him to rest for a while, the man standing before you now would be nothing but skin and bones, tottering like a sickly patient. You must punish him properly—make sure he never takes on anything so burdensome again!”

“Huh? Uncle’s gotten so skinny he looks like Father?” Ying Zheng widened his eyes. “Uncle!”

Zhu Xiang: “?”

Li Bing, who didn’t know much about Lord Zichu: “?”

Zhu Xiang quickly explained, “I’m not so weak that I’ve ended up like Xia Tong. Don’t believe him, Zheng’er!”

Ying Zheng clung to Zhu Xiang’s neck and shook him hard: “Uncle! How could you be like this!”

Meng Wu pulled along the not-so-familiar Li Bing and ran off, thoughtfully closing the door behind them to leave the uncle and nephew to talk in peace.

Li Bing asked in confusion, “What’s going on?”

Meng Wu chuckled, “Zheng’er’s nagging skills are a perfect inheritance from Zhu Xiang’s teaching. Zhu Xiang’s in for at least an hour-long lecture.”

Li Bing grew concerned. “Won’t Zheng’er get a dry throat?”

Meng Wu laughed even harder: “Zhu Xiang will take care of him. He’ll be listening to the scolding and caring for Zheng’er at the same time. Heh.”

Li Bing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

When Zhu Xiang had left Xianyang, Meng Wu had come to see him off, and that was when Li Bing first met Meng Wu.

But he never expected that Meng Wu would be the kind of person who enjoyed watching his friends get teased.

Then again, it was hard not to laugh at Zhu Xiang. Zhu Xiang had a gift for amusing his friends.

“Thanks for taking care of Zheng’er,” Meng Wu said warmly. “I heard he helped Zhu Xiang with administrative work in Chengdu? Zhu Xiang’s exploiting him again.”

Li Bing replied awkwardly, “I was too busy managing the waterways, so I let Zheng’er serve as acting governor. He’s done extremely well.”

Meng Wu grew even more friendly toward Li Bing: “You trust Zheng’er so much, then your relationship with Zhu Xiang must be quite solid. Come, come, tell me more about Zhu Xiang and Zheng’er’s time in Shu Commandery.”

Li Bing agreed readily: “Sure.”

Through the bond of “Zhu Xiang,” it seemed he was about to gain another close friend.

All of Zhu Xiang’s friends believed that anyone who could become friends with Zhu Xiang was someone worth trusting and befriending.

Meanwhile, the effect of the rift sown within Chu far exceeded what Li Mu had expected.

He had thought Chu would quickly dispatch troops to reclaim E Yi and that he would need to engage in a few more battles to make them abandon that idea.

But unexpectedly, Chu remained unusually quiet for a long time. While Li Mu waited at E Yi, both Meng Wu and Li Bing arrived—but the Chu army never came.

For the first time, Li Mu began to doubt his own strategic assessment.

Could I actually be wrong in my judgment?!

He recalled drinking with Bai Qi once, when Bai Qi had sighed over the bitter lesson he had learned on the battlefield of Changping.

That day, Bai Qi had shown rare signs of fear and regret. Now, Li Mu found himself in a similar predicament.

Chu turned out to be far more timid than he had predicted, rendering all his prior preparations a waste.

Still, he had it better than Bai Qi—at least he wasn’t in danger. Just a lot of wasted resources.

Later, Li Mu learned that it wasn’t that the Chu King didn’t want to go to war, but that the nobles were still arguing about who would take the lead.

Meanwhile, Qin’s new navy was gaining a fearsome reputation, striking fear into Chu hearts.  Added to that was the incident of Zhu Xiang razing mountains and temples. Chu, where belief in gods and spirits was deeply rooted, became convinced that Li Mu’s navy was empowered by divine forces.

They even believed that Zhu Xiang had slaughtered lesser mountain deities to offer them as sacrifices to empower Li Mu’s forces.

As absurd as it sounded, the people of Chu truly believed it. The Chu King and major nobles summoned shamans and diviners, and they all confirmed the rumor.

After some thought, Li Mu concluded that the Chu King and nobles didn’t really believe this nonsense—they just needed an excuse for their crushing defeat.

Though Li Mu had made a name for himself fighting the Xiongnu, the seven states of China didn’t view the Xiongnu highly. They saw them as barbarians, and believed that anyone could do better against them.

Li Mu hadn’t yet achieved fame in wars against other states. Being a young general who had just defected from Zhao, many would doubt his ability to command Qin troops.

So when he swiftly defeated a seasoned Chu general, it was too much for Chu to accept.

Faced with Qin’s overwhelmingly powerful navy and a talented young commander, it was easier to believe in divine intervention.

That belief, though irrational, gave them psychological comfort. But once they attributed their loss to the gods, even if the leadership didn’t believe it, the soldiers did.

They needed to probe Qin’s strength—but no one wanted to be the one to test it.

With the Chu King and nobles still divided by internal sabotage and mistrust, plans for dispatching troops were delayed even further.

By the time they were still arguing, reinforcements from Guanzhong and Shu Commandery had arrived. War now would mean full-blown conflict with Qin. The Chu forces grew even more hesitant.

“Lord Bai scared them so badly that even if Qin were stretched thin across the Three Jins, Chu wouldn’t dare act.” Meng Wu, bored and visiting Li Mu, remarked, “Chu is like a beast with its spine broken—still a beast, but now no different from livestock.”

He made no effort to hide his contempt for Chu, even though some of Chu’s former royals held high office in Qin. Zhu Xiang found it hard to believe Meng Wu’s assessment. Wasn’t Chu the nation that would always be Qin’s final opponent, even with only three households left? Weren’t they supposed to be tenacious and fierce?

He reflected on Chu’s decisions in this timeline after being defeated by Bai Qi and scratched his cheek.

Sigh… It’s true.

Even in real history, Chu was never the same after losing to Bai Qi. Despite Qin’s heavy losses at the Battle of Handan and even pulling back to Hangu Pass, Chu didn’t dare seize the opportunity.

By the time King Zhaoxiang of Qin died, Qin’s territory had still expanded. In theory, Chu should have considered its lost land sacred ancestral territory and made efforts to reclaim it. But the truth was, Chu had been scared out of its wits.

Later, Chu only regained its courage after Lord Changping’s betrayal led to Qin’s defeat.

But in this timeline, Qin hadn’t suffered much at Changping. Bai Qi was still alive. The Battle of Handan hadn’t happened. Qin was at its peak—Chu had every reason to avoid a direct confrontation.

Besides, they’d already lost their capital and ancestral tombs. Losing an old co-capital from the Spring and Autumn era? Not a big deal.

Having reasoned all this out, Zhu Xiang chuckled and said, “Li Mu, it looks like your fantasy of earning glory from Chu’s next offensive won’t come true.”

Li Mu replied calmly, “If they don’t come to me, I’ll go to them. I’ll sail down the Yangtze. If Chu doesn’t send troops, I’ll draw a line with the river and govern accordingly.”

“Draw a line with the river?” Zhu Xiang raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

Li Mu dipped his finger into warm water and traced a curving line on the table. “North of the river belongs to Chu, south of the river to Qin.”

“Pfft.” Meng Wu spat out his tea.

Li Bing covered his mouth and coughed.

Zhang Ruo massaged his temples in disbelief.

Only Zhu Xiang and Ying Zheng clapped enthusiastically in unison: “Bravo! Next, we march north and take the Central Plains!”

Li Mu smiled slightly. “Yes, next step: northern campaign.”

Meng Wu, wiping off the spilled tea, exclaimed, “You—you’re insane!”

Li Bing coughed. “Nor—northern campaign…”

Zhang Ruo muttered repeatedly, “The youth are terrifying… terrifying indeed.”

Zhu Xiang laughed until tears streamed from his eyes. “Is it really that shocking? It’s just dividing the river, launching a northern campaign. Right, Zheng’er?”

Ying Zheng crossed his arms and declared, “Right! I’m not surprised. My teacher can definitely do it!”

That’s my teacher!

In Xianyang Palace, the Qin King was once again in shock.

“Zhu Xiang—Zhu Xiang got so angry over some sacrificial ritual that he personally went to the battlefield and even claimed that any deity not conferred by the Qin King is a demon?!”

The old King of Qin trembled all over, the wrinkles on his face practically falling off from the shaking. “Conferred deities?!”

Crown Prince Zhu stammered, “F-Father, are you going to confer them?”

The old king hesitated for a long while and finally muttered, “Isn’t that… a bit too arrogant?”

Crown Prince Zhu took a deep breath and nearly fainted.

Just what has this Zhu Xiang done?! To make my all-powerful father actually wonder if he’s being arrogant?!