Media vida dedicada a la música y el maquillaje

Capítulo 6

Seeing his mother finally compromise, Zi Tun felt a pang of guilt. On the eve of welcoming back Lord Xinyang, Zi Tun knelt and begged his mother, who was preparing to return power to him, to tell him the essentials of governing the country. The Queen Mother said, "There's not much to say. You only need to remember two things: treat the people with benevolence and treat the feudal lords with trust."

Zitun nodded, then asked curiously, "Just these two points?"

Empress Dowager Wang thought for a moment and said, "There is one more point, to treat Qi and Qing with caution." Then she smiled and said, "This point, Lord Xinyang will also emphasize. As for how to interpret this 'caution', he will tell you himself."

When Lord Xinyang returned, he did not disappoint Zitun. While largely continuing the policies of the Queen Mother, he emphasized the clean governance of officials and the strict enforcement of the law. He dismissed some mediocre old ministers, vigorously promoted young scholars, and recruited many retainers. He not only valued scholars, but also recruited anyone with expertise in astronomy, geography, medicine, military affairs, and other fields. For a time, Mingcheng was filled with outstanding scholars and extraordinary people, all hoping to serve Lord Xinyang.

With the country now stable, powerful states like Qi and Qing dared not threaten with war. Zitun once asked Lord Xinyang how to interpret the word "cautious" in his mother's words "treat Qi and Qing with caution." Lord Xinyang simply replied, "Nothing more than caution."

Before making decisions on important national affairs, Lord Xinyang would first consult Zitun. Sometimes Zitun's ideas differed from his, but Lord Xinyang would patiently explain his views and analyze the consequences of different decisions. In the end, Zitun would always nod repeatedly and accept his advice with heartfelt admiration.

There had almost never been a dispute between the king and his ministers until the topic of the marriage of the king's sister, Sangluo, came up.

On that day, King Tun flew into a rage over the tribute issue of the neighboring small country of Yue. Yue was located between the countries of Chu and Qi, and was rich in silk. Every year, it would send a large amount of silk as tribute to each of the two countries. However, this year, due to a natural disaster, the silk production was greatly reduced, and the finished silk produced was only enough for one country's needs. Qi pressed for more and insisted on paying the full amount of tribute. After weighing the pros and cons, King Yue finally agreed to disregard Chu and send all the silk to Qi as tribute.

A minister said, “The Yue Kingdom, relying on the protection of the Qi Kingdom, has been disrespecting the might of our king for more than a day. If we let it go, it will damage the reputation of our great nation. We should send troops to punish them as a warning.”

Some objected, saying, "With our military strength, destroying Yue is a piece of cake. However, Yue has Qi behind it. If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. Qi will not sit idly by and watch its neighbor be destroyed by us. If we attack, Qi will definitely send troops to help Yue. In that case, we will have no chance of winning."

Zi Tun was furious: "I have known since childhood that our country has always been controlled by the Qi Kingdom and has to act according to its wishes. Now our country's strength has greatly increased and is far superior to before. Even if we fight a big battle with the Qi Kingdom, we may not necessarily lose. Why not take this opportunity to fight with them and at least dampen their arrogance?"

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger." Lord Xinyang slowly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "War is not child's play. We should not speak lightly if we have no chance of winning. The time is not yet ripe to fight Qi. If we force it, it will only increase casualties."

Zi Tun asked angrily, "Then, in your opinion, Uncle, how should this matter be handled in Yue Kingdom?"

Lord Xinyang replied with only one word: "Endure".

That night, Lord Xinyang entered the palace to see Zitun. While reiterating his opinion, he also made a suggestion to him: to marry Sangluo, the daughter of King Xuanlian and Zitun's half-sister, to King Qi, Qingsong.

Zi Tun was astonished: "King Qi, Qing Song, is already sixty years old, while Sang Luo has just turned fifteen. Moreover, King Qi is his uncle's father-in-law, and Sang Luo is his uncle's niece. If they were to marry, wouldn't that be a great violation of morality?"

Lord Xinyang said, “Since ancient times, when feudal lords marry, they have not paid much attention to seniority, so this is not surprising. Moreover, King Qi and Sang Luo are not related by blood and are not among the five cardinal relationships, so their marriage does not violate the norms of ethics.”

"No!" Zitun refused resolutely, his eyes and brows filled with anger.

"A ruler must not act impulsively. To achieve hegemony, one must first learn to assess situations carefully and strategize effectively." Lord Xinyang remained calm and composed, speaking in a gentle tone. "Sangluo has come of age, and her fame has spread far and wide. King Qi is lustful, and his queen has recently passed away. If Your Majesty proposes a marriage alliance, he will surely agree readily. We will send envoys to Qi to discuss the marriage and, in addition, secretly plan the destruction of Yue. Our country will send troops, and Qi will simply remain inactive and not aid Yue. After destroying Yue, we will cede seven cities of Yue as Sangluo's dowry to Qi. They will gain forty percent of Yue's territory and our queen without firing a single shot. Why not do it..."

“Uncle is indeed considering Qi’s interests in every way. He is indeed a good son-in-law of Qi.” Zi Tun sneered, “If my princess were to flatter King Qi, even if she were to gain half of Yue’s kingdom, she would still be ridiculed by the world.”

Lord Xinyang shook his head and said, "If it were only for the sake of this small territory of Yue, why would we need to resort to such a plan? Today, Your Majesty sacrifices your sister and temporarily endures the gossip of the world. In the future, we will eliminate the century-old enemy of Chu and achieve hegemony in no time."

"Eliminating the Chu Kingdom's century-old rival..." Zi Tun paused, then asked again, "Uncle, are you referring to the destruction of Qi?"

Lord Shenyang smiled faintly.

Zitun asked curiously, "What does this marriage alliance have to do with the extermination of Qi?"

Lord Xinyang said gently, “Your Majesty is always wise, and some things are not difficult to understand. There is no need for me to say more.”

After pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back and pondering for a moment, Zi Tun asked him, "King Qi has no legitimate son. In recent years, his two illegitimate sons, Prince Zheng and Prince Qi, have been openly and secretly vying for the position of crown prince... Could it be that Uncle hopes that Sang Luo will give birth to a legitimate son for King Qi after marrying into Qi Kingdom..."

Lord Xinyang remained noncommittal, but said, "Whether or not a legitimate son is born is not a matter of great importance... I request Your Majesty to grant my sister's hand in marriage. In a few years, Your Majesty will know that this matter is entirely beneficial. If not, then I will take your life."

Thinking of Wang Mei Sangluo, Zitun became slightly angry again: "How can you say that marrying Sangluo to a man in his sixties is all benefits and no harm?"

With a soft sigh, Lord Xinyang gazed at Zitun and solemnly said, "As a woman from Chu State, to be able to use her own body to benefit the country and bring happiness to the people is an unparalleled honor for her. Your Majesty need not feel guilty about this. To accomplish great things, one must make sacrifices. If a ruler of a country is bound by the sentimentality of a woman, he will surely harm himself and the people."

The first argument ended with Zi Tun remaining silent. The next day, he strolled through the palace and unknowingly arrived at the courtyard where Sangluo lived. He saw her stretching out her hands towards the sky, holding a small swallow in her palms. "Fly, fly..." she softly urged the swallow. A thin layer of sunlight caressed her face, like the morning glow reflecting on snow. She smiled gently, her eyes clear as water, so pure.

As the swallows soared into the sky, she withdrew her hands, still smiling and looking up, her flowing skirts fluttering in the wind along with the swallows.

Hearing the maid's greeting, she turned her head and saw Zitun. Her eyes lit up, and she rushed over to greet him, pulling at her skirt. Before he could answer, she looked up and said with a smile, "Brother, that swallow just now was raised by me!"

Zitun personally helped her up and smiled at her: "Really?"

She nodded repeatedly, pointing to the eaves and saying, "Its parents built a nest there to raise it, but the nest was damaged by the palace servants who were cleaning the eaves. I found it and raised it in a birdcage, watching it grow day by day. Today, seeing that its wings have grown, I released it..."

The smile vanished suddenly, replaced by a wistful sigh: "But I'll never see it again..."

Zitun gently comforted her, "Swallows love their homes, they will fly back."

"Really?" Sangluo smiled again. "Then I'll wait for it to come back here every day. By next year, I'll see its baby swallows, right?"

Next year, the swallows may still fly back, but you may not still be here. Zitun burst into tears, and without saying a word, he hurried away, ignoring Sangluo's repeated calls behind him.

Back in his palace, he dismissed everyone and, unable to contain himself, buried his face in his hands and wept. A moment later, someone patted his shoulder; he turned and, with tears in his eyes, called out, "Mother."

Empress Dowager Wang sat down beside him, looking at him with gentle eyes.

"Mother, my uncle wants me to marry Sangluo to King Qi. Should I agree?" Zitun asked.

The Empress Dowager did not answer for the time being, but asked him instead: "Do you want to be content with the status quo and live a life of peace, or do you want to achieve hegemony, or even unify the world?"

Zi Tun remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "As a man, one should naturally strive to achieve great things..."

"Then listen to your uncle." The Queen Mother chuckled, rose and left, leaving behind a sentence that seemed to be a soliloquy: "He is not wrong. A woman is insignificant in the face of a man's ambition."

The marriage negotiations proceeded very smoothly, and within two months all the formalities of betrothal, name inquiry, auspicious date selection, gift presentation, and wedding date setting were completed. Afterwards, Chu sent troops to attack Yue, and Qi, as expected, ignored Yue's request for help. After Chu destroyed Yue, the two countries divided its territory according to the agreement.

The following spring, King Qi sent envoys to welcome his bride.

On the day of her wedding, Sangluo did not bid farewell to Zitun and the Queen Mother according to custom. "She cried so hard that I had someone give her a calming medicine last night, and she is now sleeping soundly in the carriage," the Queen Mother explained casually to Zitun.

Disregarding etiquette, Zi Tun immediately rose from his seat and approached Sangluo's carriage, personally lifting the curtain to look at her.

She was dressed in her queen's wedding gown, lying diagonally in the carriage. Her hair ornaments were slightly loose. She was fast asleep with her eyes closed. Tears on her face dampened the festive makeup that had been applied to her, and glistening water droplets still clung to her eyelashes.

The palace maids stepped forward and carefully pulled him away. The wedding envoy and the dowry maids bowed again and then set off.

Zi Tun stood before the palace, motionless for a long time, gazing up at the sky. Dark clouds fell into his eyes, condensing into rain and blurring his vision.

VII. National Mourning

Wielding Wu spears and clad in rhinoceros armor, chariots clashed and short weapons engaged.

Banners obscure the sun, enemies are like clouds; arrows rain down, soldiers vie to be the first.

I go out but never return, the plains stretch endlessly and the road is far away.

He carries a long sword and a Qin bow; though his head and body are separated, his heart remains unyielding.

—Nine Songs: Elegy for the Fallen

After the marriage alliance, Qi State became even more friendly towards Chu State. Although there was no formal alliance, they often helped each other, so other countries dared not offend them.

After entering the Qi palace, Sang Luo was greatly favored by the King of Qi and, as a queen, enjoyed unparalleled nobility. All the royal family members and high-ranking officials vied to flatter her. Two years later, news came from the Qi kingdom that Prince Qi of Qi had adopted Sang Luo as his mother, visited her daily to inquire about her well-being, and treated her with exceptional filial piety.

Zi Tun couldn't help but sneer: "That young master Qi is more than ten years older than Sang Luo. In order to gain Sang Luo's support, he shamelessly recognized her as his mother. He is extremely despicable."

Lord Xinyang smiled and said, "Gongzi Qi is also a clever man. In terms of age, Gongzi Zheng is the eldest, and Qi was at a disadvantage in the struggle for the crown prince position. Now that he has made the queen his mother, he has become the legitimate son in name, and he has immediately turned the situation around."

Zitun nodded, seemingly lost in thought, and suddenly asked, "Uncle, when you said that Sangluo's entry into Qi would benefit Chu, did you foresee the current situation, allowing Sangluo to support Prince Qi's ascension to the throne so that he would repay our country, or perhaps allowing Sangluo to interfere in Qi's court politics?"

He shook his head slightly, remaining silent with a smile on his lips, his words unreadable.

It was indeed heard that King Qi, due to Sang Luo's kind words, favored Prince Qi and even intended to make him crown prince. However, a year later, a strange message arrived: King Qi suddenly fell seriously ill, lingered for some time, and died in his palace. The prime minister produced the edict he had written before his death, announcing that King Qi would pass the throne to Prince Zheng. Prince Qi was immediately enraged, claiming the edict was forged by Zheng and the prime minister. It was common knowledge that King Qi had favored Prince Qi more during his lifetime, and Qi had cultivated his own power base in court over the years. Consequently, the ministers of Qi split into two factions, supporting Prince Zheng and Prince Qi respectively, each refusing to yield.

Not long after, Zi Tun received a secret letter from Gongzi Qi, in which Gongzi Qi repeatedly referred to Zi Tun as his "uncle" and requested Zi Tun to send troops to help him drive out Gongzi Zheng and his followers, promising eternal friendship and ceding territory.

Zitun then consulted Lord Xinyang: "Should we send troops to help him?"

Without hesitation, Lord Xinyang replied, "Yes. Of course I will go."

“But,” Zitun frowned, “Gongzi Qi is clearly a villain. If we help him win, I’m afraid he might not keep his promise to cede territory to us in the future.”

“That’s fine.” Lord Xinyang smiled. “At that time, whether he agrees or not will not be up to him to decide.”

Zitun then dispatched elite troops to Qi, while Prince Qi ordered his trusted border commanders to open the city gates wide and welcome the Chu army in. Prince Qi then led his troops in a coordinated attack with the Chu army, joining forces against Prince Zheng. The two princes were initially evenly matched, but the Chu army was valiant, and once they aided Prince Qi, Prince Zheng was no match for them, quickly suffering defeat and fleeing north with his remaining followers. However, the Chu commander, prepared for this, led his troops to blockade all the crossings, successfully capturing Prince Zheng and escorting him back to Qi.

Upon seeing Gongzi Zheng, Gongzi Qi sneered several times, drew his sword, and stabbed his own brother, killing him in the main hall.

Prince Qi generously rewarded Chu Shuai and his generals, requesting them to lead their troops back to the country. However, Chu Shuai, citing the fact that the rebels had not yet been purged and that he needed to stay and continue the pursuit, remained stationed at Qi. Prince Qi then wrote to Zi Tun, subtly requesting him to withdraw his troops.

Zitun asked Lord Xinyang, "When would be the best time for us to withdraw our troops?"

Lord Xinyang replied, "The time to destroy Qi."

Seeing that Zitun had not yet understood, Lord Xinyang slowly took out a scroll of imperial edict from his sleeve and presented it to him, saying calmly: "Prince Qi has lost his virtue and conduct, he has no filial piety or brotherly love, he has disregarded ethics and morality, he has murdered his father and brother, committed adultery with his stepmother, first disgraced my royal daughter, and then betrayed my king. Now that Your Majesty knows the truth, I request that you send more righteous troops to attack Qidu, arrest Prince Qi, and punish him on behalf of Heaven."

Zitun felt as if struck by lightning, unable to speak for a long time. Of all the words spoken by Lord Xinyang about Gongzi Qi's crimes, only three words echoed in his mind: "incest with his stepmother."

“Swallowing my stepmother…” He slumped down and muttered to himself.

Lord Xinyang nodded and said in a low voice, "Gongzi Qi and Sang Luo had an affair, resulting in Sang Luo's pregnancy. King Qi discovered their affair and, in a fit of rage, decided to pass the throne to Gongzi Zheng... The edict announced by Prime Minister Qi is true."

"So," Zitun said with a wry smile, "she was willing?"

Lord Xinyang did not answer, but said, "Gongzi Qi is handsome and eloquent, so it is quite normal for Sang Luo to be seduced by him."

Zi Tun raised his head and stared at Lord Xinyang. Seeing that his expression was calm and unperturbed, he suddenly flew into a rage, slammed his fist on the table, and stood up: "You knew! You had foreseen this all along, and you even orchestrated it all?"

"Your Majesty!" Lord Xinyang suddenly shouted coldly, his tone stern. Zitun was taken aback. Seeing that Lord Xinyang's eyes were deep and unfathomable, and his brows were still relaxed, he had an air of authority that he did not reveal, and he immediately felt discouraged.

“Your Majesty,” Lord Xinyang called again, but his tone had returned to its usual gentleness, “if it weren’t for Prince Qi’s lust and Prince Qi’s lack of virtue, we wouldn’t have had such a good opportunity. This is the will of Heaven, may Heaven bless our king.”

He knelt down, pulled up his robe, and bowed twice: "Your Majesty, please issue an order to send more troops to attack Prince Qi."

"Issue an imperial edict?" Zi Tun chuckled self-deprecatingly. "Why would Zi Tun need to issue an edict? Uncle has already drafted the proclamation for the campaign, hasn't he? The imperial seal is right on the table; you can just take it and stamp it yourself."

The state of Chu then dispatched tens of thousands of elite troops to attack Qidu. Qidu, already riddled with problems from the infighting between the two princes, crumbled under the first attack. Prince Qi, before even formally ascending the throne, had already become a fugitive, fleeing the palace and ultimately dying in the chaos of battle.

After the fall of the Qi Kingdom, Zi Tun wished to bring Sang Luo back to his country and requested Lord Xinyang to send an envoy to fetch him. Lord Xinyang agreed, but after receiving the order, he did not leave immediately. Zi Tun then asked, "Does Uncle have anything else to say?"

Lord Xinyang bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I request instructions on what to do with the child in Sangluo's womb."

This was something Zitun hadn't considered. After hesitating for a long time, he asked Lord Xinyang as usual, "In your opinion, Uncle..."

Lord Xinyang abruptly interrupted him: "Your Majesty, the child that Sangluo is carrying is of royal blood from the Qi Kingdom. This is a matter of great importance, and I dare not make a decision on my own. Please enlighten me, Your Majesty."

This forced him to make a decision. Zitun sat there blankly, staring at Lord Xinyang. Finally, his eyes dimmed, and he sighed, "Give me the medicine."

Lord Xinyang accepted the order, bowed again, and was about to leave when Zitun called him back and instructed, "Have someone prepare a milder medicine so as not to harm her."

The words had barely left her lips when tears began to fall from her eyes.

Lord Xinyang silently approached, and with a flick of his sleeve, personally wiped away Zitun's tears, saying, "Your Majesty must never grieve like this again. All your tears should have been shed before you ascended the throne."