Gods 085: Homeward Bound
A new day dawns for the kingdom, which is good news to everyone except Jiang Ziya’s ex-wife.
Transcript
Welcome to the Chinese Lore Podcast, where I retell classic Chinese stories in English. This is episode 85 of Investiture of the Gods.
Last time, isolated, with the enemy closing in and no way out, King Zhou went out not with a bang or a whimper, but in a giant bonfire that consumed him and his precious tower. Now that he was dead, the forces of the rebellion gathered outside the palace. Soon, the palace gates swung open, and the servant and guards inside came out with incense to welcome the Martial King Ji Fa and the nobles.
Jiang Ziya hurriedly ordered soldiers to go in and put out the fire first. Ji Fa quickly added, “King Zhou was unjust and cruel. The palace servants have all suffered at his hand. When our soldiers are putting out the fire, they must not harm any of the servants. Minister father, you must send out strict orders so as to avoid causing more suffering.”
So Jiang Ziya quickly sent out an addendum, saying, “All soldiers who are helping to put out the fire must refrain from any acts of violence. Whoever dares to take a single item from the palace or kill a single person will be executed, with no exceptions!”
As soon as that command was announced, all the palace attendants and guards fell to their knees and chanted, “Long live the Martial King!” So this was a good start as far as winning hearts and minds go.
Ji Fa and the nobles now settled in at the main hall and observed their soldiers putting out the flames. Ji Fa looked up and noticed 20 huge bronze pillars standing on the east side of the hall.
“What are these?” he asked.
“These were King Zhou’s burning pillars,” Jiang Ziya said.
“Mercy! Just seeing them breaks my heart,” Ji Fa sighed. “I can only imagine how terrible it was for the people suffering the torture. King Zhou really was cruel!”
Everyone was like, yeah, that’s what we keep telling you and why you shouldn’t keep feeling sorry for the guy. Jiang Ziya now accompanied Ji Fa to the private parts of the palace. As they approached where the Star-Picking Tower once stood, they saw the countless snakes writhing in the serpent pit, which contained piles of bleached human bones. On the opposite side stood the wine pool and the meat forest, both now cloaked in melancholy.
“What are these for?” Ji Fa asked again.
Jiang Ziya told him, “This is King Zhou’s snake pit, used for killing palace servants. And those are the meat forest and wine pool.”
“Oh my,” Ji Fa said. “How could he be so uncompassionate?”
Next, they made their way over to the tower, which was still smoldering with flames. Oh and on his way to exit stage left, King Zhou managed to take a bunch of palace servants down with him, as they were caught up in the fire at the tower. The air was filled with the putrid smell of their burning corpses. Ji Fa quickly ordered his men to take the corpses out for burial, and then he said to Jiang Ziya, “I wonder where King Zhou’s remains are. We should find them and give them a proper burial so that they are not exposed to the elements. As his vassals, we must not allow that to happen.”
Jiang Ziya probably did a hard eye roll, but he said to Ji Fa, “King Zhou was so unjust that all despised him and today’s fiery end was his just deserts. Yet you still want to give him a proper burial. It’s a credit to your compassion.”
So Jiang Ziya told his soldiers, “Find the king’s remains and put them in a coffin. Give him a burial befitting a king.”
Next, Ji Fa and the nobles headed to the Deer Terrace. As they ascended the terrace, they took in its dizzying architectural flourishes and luxuries. Ji Fa again sighed. “King Zhou was really too extravagant. How can he not fall when the country is so depleted?”
Jiang Ziya chimed in. “Since ancient times, no ruler living in extravagance has been able to avoid ruin. That’s why the ancient sage kings warned us over and over that, ‘We must treasure virtue instead of pearls or jade.’ Now, we can see that those warnings were correct.”
Ji Fa now suggested, “Since King Zhou is dead and the people and nobles had suffered so much at his hand, why not redistribute to them all the wealth gathered at this terrace and the grain from the storehouses, so that they can enjoy some relief.”
“Your suggestion is a true blessing for the people,” Jiang Ziya praised him. “We should do it at once.”
So Ji Fa sent out orders for the great giveaway to commence. Momentarily, soldiers arrived with King Zhou’s surviving son Wu (3) Keng (1), who was apprehended in the palace. They brought him forth and forced him to kneel, and all the nobles were ready to take out some anger on him.
“King Zhou was wicked and drew the wrath of men and gods,” they all said. “We should execute his son to appease heaven and earth.”
“You are quite right,” Jiang Ziya agreed.
But Ji Fa quickly objected. “You must not! True, King Zhou was indeed wicked, but that was due to villains and demons leading him astray. What does it have to do with his son? And with King Zhou killing his officials with the burning pillars, not even senior ministers like Bi (3) Gan (4) or Wei (1) Zi (3) could persuade him to stop, so what could a young boy like Wu Keng have done? Now, King Zhou is dead, so why take it out on his son? The wife and children of a guilty man are innocent themselves. We should all exercise virtue and must not kill innocents. Let’s give him a fiefdom so that he may preserve his house’s line and repay his ancestors.”
The Grand Duke of the East, Jiang Wenhuan, now said to Ji Fa, “My lord, now that victory is ours, we must establish a new king to steady the hearts of all the nobles and the people. Heaven cannot be without the sun, and the country cannot be without a king. Heaven’s mandate belongs to those who are compassionate. Your virtue and compassion are known throughout the four seas. All under heaven support you. You should assume the throne to put the people’s minds at ease. We all came to follow you on your campaign against evil. Now, we have succeeded. I hope you will take the crown. Don’t delay and disappoint everyone.”
All the other nobles chimed in in agreement. But before Jiang Ziya could speak up, Ji Fa said, “My talent and virtue are paltry, and my reputation is not yet established. I only wish to continue my late father’s enterprise. How would I dare to have designs on the throne? It should be reserved for the most virtuous man. I pray that you all will select a man of true virtue for the role. Don’t give it to me; it would be an embarrassment to the country. I will return home soon with my minister father and serve as a vassal.”
But Jiang Wenhuan shouted, “My lord, you’re wrong! No one is more virtuous than you! The whole land belongs to the House of Zhou, and it didn’t happen overnight. You were the one that the people welcomed with open arms. How can anyone else take your place? You saved the people from their suffering, and all the nobles have pledged themselves to follow you. So why must you refuse? I hope you will oblige us, so that we won’t be disappointed!”
But Ji Fa continued to beg off. “What virtue do I possess? I hope you all will drop this idea and pick someone else who will have the support of the land.”
This tiresome back-and-forth went on for a while, until all the nobles lost their patience. They all swarmed forward and shouted to Ji Fa, “The hearts of all under heaven have long submitted to you, so why must you keep refusing? This would be a great disappointment to us all! We all convened here for the specific purpose of elevating you so that we may see peace again. If you refuse, then we will all go our separate ways, and chaos will naturally erupt. You would be denying peace to the land.”
Jiang Ziya now hurriedly stepped in and said to the nobles, “My lords, no need for this. Listen to what I have to say.”
So the nobles piped down and gave him the room. Jiang Ziya said to Ji Fa, “King Zhou brought chaos to the land, and your highness quite justifiably led the nobles to bring him to justice. Everyone respects you. It is only right for you to assume the throne and rule the land. Besides, back when a phoenix appeared on Qi Mountain, it was portending that heaven has chosen you. It’s no coincidence. Now, all under heaven have submitted to the Zhou. You must not miss this golden opportunity. If you decline the throne today, I fear the nobles would be disheartened and go their separate ways. There would be disunity, and in time it would cause chaos. That is not the outcome you would want from this campaign. And in disappointing the common people, instead of showing your love for them, you would be doing them harm. Please consider it.”
Ji Fa started to back down, but not before one more round of “I’m not worthy.” “Even though I have all of your support, my virtue is meager and I cannot shoulder this responsibility. I fear I would bring shame to my father.”
But Jiang Wenhuan had heard enough. “My lord, no need to keep declining. Commander Jiang knows best,” he said.
Then, he turned to Jiang Ziya and said, “Commander, please take action at once. Don’t delay and risk alienating everyone.”
And before Ji Fa could say anything else, Jiang Ziya sent out the order, “Draw up blueprints and build a terrace, so that we may perform the rites before heaven and earth. If some other great sage appears in the future, then my lord, you can still abdicate at that time.”
Everybody saw where he was going with this. It’s right out of the same playbook as, “Oh you’re not going to the Shang capital with a huge army to wage war on your king; you’re just there to … observe.” In any case, one of Ji Fa’s brothers, the Duke of Zhou, took on the responsibility of constructing the terrace for the ceremony. He drew up schematics for a three-tiered terrace in the shape of a trigram and representing Heaven, earth, and man. In the center were seats for heaven and earth, and lining the sides were seats for the gods of the mountains, rivers, and land. On the left and right were 12 banners, representing the 12 vital gods. In the front and back were 10 banners of the decimal cycle. And so on and so forth.
Once everything was set, Jiang Ziya asked Ji Fa to ascend the terrace. After yet more polite refusal, Ji Fa oh so reluctantly went up and made a sacrifice. The 800 nobles lined up on the flanks, and the Duke of Zhou read a prayer, which said:
“Ji Fa, the Grand Duke of the West and the Martial King of Western Qi, offers this prayer to heaven: ‘Only heaven can enthrone kings! King Zhou offended heaven and took his own life. My ancestors have long received his kindness, so how would I ever dare to harbor ambitions for the throne? On heaven’s command, I brought King Zhou to justice to right the course of the Shang. Alas, all the nobles, soldiers, civilians, and respected elders have insisted time again that I should take the throne. I could not go against their will, so I had no choice but to oblige them. I solemnly report to heaven, earth, and my ancestors that I will ascend the throne as king of the nation, to be hailed by our own people and those from other lands. I pray that heaven will grant me its eternal blessings, so that our enterprise may endure forever!”
After the prayer was read, the Duke of Zhou burned it as an offering to heaven and earth. The smoke of the incense wafted toward a sky with auspicious clouds, and its fragrance enveloped the grounds. The civilians of the capital rejoiced and cheered aloud.
Ji Fa now received the royal seal and sat down on his throne, facing South. After three rounds of music, all the nobles hailed him and kneeled to pay their respects to their new king. Ji Fa then ordered a general amnesty as an act of compassion to get his reign off on the right foot. He then descended the terrace and went to the palace hall, where everyone again paid their respects, followed by a huge party where everyone got nice and drunk before breaking up for the night.
The next day, Ji Fa went to court and received congratulations again from all the nobles. He then said to Jiang Ziya, “King Zhou exhausted the country’s natural resources and wealth for his debauchery and tyranny. That led to his downfall. Out of gratitude for all the nobles elevating me as king, I would like to distribute to them all the wealth at the Deer Terrace. All the regional lords will receive money for fancy clothes, receive a 5-level promotion, and be granted territory in three grades. They are to appoint talented ministers, educate the people according to the five virtues, worship their ancestors, and encourage those who are good by bestowing kindness upon them. All the nobles should lead their forces back to their territories and watch over their land in peace.”
And while he was at it, he also had what remained of the Star-Picking Tower disassembled; opened the grain stores and shared their contents; released Ji (1) Zi (3), the brother of King Zhou who had been imprisoned by the tyrant for admonishing him; polished up the grave of the high minister Bi (3) Gan (4), who had died after King Zhou demanded his heart; bestowed honor upon Shang (1) Rong (2), the Shang prime minister who scattered his own brains in the palace after scolding the tyrant; released all the palace maids; and bestowed blessings upon all corners of the realm. In return, he was beloved by ALL, and both the lord and his people thrived.
Once the nobles had departed to return to their own lands, Jiang Ziya went to see Ji Fa and raised a couple loose ends to tie up. One was the need to appoint someone to watch over the capital city. The other was the surviving son of King Zhou. Ji Fa had spared his life and decreed that he should remain in the land of his ancestors so as to maintain his familial line. But you also couldn’t just leave him to his own devices. So the next day, Ji Fa held court and asked his officials for ideas. On both counts, they advised that he must appoint a blood relation for the job. So Ji Fa appointed the two eldest of his younger brothers to watch over the former Shang capital and to keep an eye on King Zhou’s son.
All this done, Ji Fa now prepared to set out back to Western Qi. But a swarm of civilians kneeled along the road and shouted, “Your highness rescued us from calamity. If you return to your own kingdom now, we would be orphaned. We hope you will exercise compassion and remain here!”
Ji Fa told them, “I have placed two of my brothers in charge of the city. It’s the same as if I were here in person. They will not neglect you. If you obey the laws, then all will be at peace, and you won’t even need me here.”
Seeing that they couldn’t sway him, the civilians wept aloud. Their cries shook heaven and earth and Ji Fa felt a pang of sadness in his heart. He told the two brothers that he had left in charge, “The people are the foundation of the kingdom. You all must not mistreat them. You must treat them as your own children. If you disobey my command and bully the people, then I will punish you, even though you are my blood relations. Don’t forget!”
His two brothers assured him that they would obey his orders, and Ji Fa set out, with the civilians giving him a teary send-off. Oh, and spoiler alert, those two brothers that he left in charge of the Shang capital? They knew their place during his reign, but after Ji Fa’s death, they were key players in a coup attempt to overthrow Ji Fa’s son and his regent, the Duke of Zhou. But the coup failed. One brother was executed, and the other exiled. King Zhou’s son was also a conspirator in the coup and was killed as well. All of these are well beyond the scope of the novel, so I figured I just sneak that little historical tidbit in here.
Anyway, on his way home, Ji Fa passed Mengjin, and he was reminded of how a white fish had auspiciously leaped into his ship and became dinner when he crossed over the Yellow River. Then, as he made his way back through the five passes, he was reminded of all the officers who had lost their lives taking those checkpoints, which saddened him greatly.
One day, his army was approaching Golden Rooster Peak when two men blocked their path and asked to speak with Jiang Ziya. Jiang Ziya went out and saw that it was Boyi (2,4) and Shuqi (1,2), the two gentlemen who were widely respected for their honor and who had tried to talk Ji Fa out of his campaign.
“How can I help you gentlemen?” Jiang Ziya asked after they traded greetings.
“Commander, your army is returning home,” Boyi said. “What of King Zhou?”
“He was tyrannical and was abandoned by all under heaven,” Jiang Ziya said. “Our army advanced through the five passes, and the nobles of the land had all gathered at Mengjin. We defeated the Shang forces, King Zhou killed himself in a fire, and the land is at peace again. My lord distributed the wealth of the Deer Terrace and the grain form the storehouses, repaired Bi Gan’s grave, and honored Shang Rong’s residence. All the nobles respected him and made him the new king. So the land no longer belongs to King Zhou.”
Hearing this, Boyi and Shuqi wailed, “Oh woe! What meaning is there in countering brutality with brutality?!”
At that, they left and retired into the mountain. And as I mentioned in the supplemental episode on these two guys, they refused to eat any grain grown in the kingdom of Zhou, which was problematic since they resided in the kingdom of Zhou. Their attempt at foraging went poorly, and after seven days, they both starved to death.
Anyway, moving on. The victorious Zhou army was greeted by their own joyous people all along the way home. One day, as they approached Western Qi Mountain, they were greeted by the officials who remained behind to watch the shop, led by the minister San (4) Yisheng (2,1) and the old general Huang (2) Gun (2), who had lost his sons, including Flying Tiger, and almost all his grandsons to this campaign.
“I have been on campaign for five years,” Ji Fa told them. “The sight of you fills me with grief.”
San Yisheng said, “My lord, you now rule over the whole kingdom, and all the land is at peace. This is a great cause for joy. And we’re blessed to get to see you again. We all get to enjoy the peace. So why are you sad?”
“I lost so many loyal men on campaign,” Ji Fa explained. “They went to the underworld before they could see peace. It makes me sad to think about all who are missing today.”
But San Yisheng said, “A vassal who dies in loyal service of his lord and a son who dies in filial service to his father will have their praises sung for all posterity. That’s a good thing. Your highness have bestowed kindness on their families, so they naturally should repay you. So why be sad about it?”
Lord and officials now set off together toward Western Qi. All along the way, civilians crowded the sides of the road to catch a glimpse and celebrate. After a journey of 20-some miles, they arrived back at Western Qi. Ji Fa went to the inner palace to pay his respects to his mother and wife, and then he threw a feast to celebrate with his officials.
The next morning, Ji Fa held court, and Jiang Ziya came forth and said now that the campaign was done, he had some Daoist business to attend to. Just then, word came that Fei (1) Lian (2) and E (4) Lai (2), two wicked former officials of the Shang, were outside seeking an audience. Ji Fa asked Jiang Ziya how he should proceed.
“These two are sycophants,” Jiang Ziya said. “When we defeated the Shang, they hid. Now that peace has been restored, they’re trying to sweet-talk you into giving them a job. These villains must not be allowed to exist in this world for another day. But I have a use for them. Your highness may summon them in, and I will deal with them.”
So Ji Fa called the two villains in. They kowtowed and chanted, “Fei Lian and E Lai, former officials of a dead kingdom, wish your highness eternal life!”
“What brings you here?” Ji Fa asked.
Fei Lian replied, “King Zhou refused to listen to our loyal advice and occupied himself with women and wine, leading to the downfall of his reign. We have heard that your highness’s virtue is known all throughout the land, and that all under heaven have submitted to you. You’re the equal of the ancient sage kings. That’s why we two have come all this way to seek an audience. We’re willing to serve you in whatever role. If you take us in, we’d do our utmost. We hereby offer up the Shang’s royal seal. We hope you will accept us.”
Jiang Ziya now chimed in and said to Ji Fa, “These two officials once advised King Zhou loyally, but he refused to listen to them and brought about his own demise. Now, they are abandoning the darkness for the light. I hope your highness will take them in.”
Ji Fa did as he suggested and appointed the two villains to mid-level posts as court ministers. They bowed to thank him, and then Jiang Ziya returned home.
Let’s leave Western Qi for the time being and go catch up on someone we haven’t talked about in a long, long time. Remember that once upon a time after he left Kunlun Mountain, Jiang Ziya had been married to a Lady Ma (3). He was a terrible husband, and on top of that, she also couldn’t stand how he was a bumbling failure at seemingly every trade. He couldn’t even hang on to the court official job that he lucked into in the Shang capital. Eventually she got so fed up that she forced him to grant her a divorce, figuring that he would never amount to anything.
Welp, I guess time told on that one. Word of Jiang Ziya’s triumph was spreading like wildfire throughout the land. One day, the word made its way to Lady Ma’s ears. At this point, she had married a farmer near the former Shang capital. One day, an old woman living next door told her all about what an amazing feat her former husband had accomplished. As she listened, Lady Ma became flushed and agitated, and she sat in silence for a long while. Then, her neighbor added, “You were wrong to dump him. If you had stuck with him back then, you would be enjoying boundless wealth now, instead of living this poor life. Alas, I guess you’re just cursed!”
Those words made Lady Ma even more restless and regretful. When she got home, she sat and stewed, thinking to herself, “Why couldn’t I see his potential back then? How can I still live in this world, being so blind?! Even if I lived to 100, what would be the point? I’ve missed out on such wealth! That woman just now said I was cursed. How ashamed I am! How can I go on living? I might as well kill myself.”
At that thought, she started weeping. But then, she thought, “Maybe it’s not him that everyone is talking about? There are plenty of people with the same name. Let me not kill myself just yet. I’ll wait until my husband comes home and then ask him for more details.”
So that night, her husband, a Farmer Zhang, returned from selling vegetables in the city. Lady Ma made him dinner and then asked, “Is it true what they say about Jiang Ziya? That he’s a commander and a prime minister, and living in immense wealth?”
Farmer Zhang said with a smile, “My wife, if you hadn’t asked, I wasn’t going to bring it up. It’s all true. How glorious Prime Minister Jiang was in the Shang capital, with all the nobles of the land obeying his commands. I was going to ask you to go pay him a visit and see if we can get a little something from him. But given his high status, I was too intimidated, so I didn’t say anything. But since you asked, I had to tell you. Alas, it’s too late now. He has long since returned to his kingdom. You should’ve gone to see him when he was still here.”
This news left Lady Ma speechless yet again. Farmer Zhang consoled her a bit, and she told him to go to bed while she cleaned up. Once he was sound asleep, however, she wept for a bit, and then hanged herself. By the time he realized something was amiss, she was long dead, and all he could do was bury her.
So, umm, I guess the novel is saying she got her comeuppance? That’s a really crappy moral of the story, given what a horrible husband Jiang Ziya was. Just par for the course for the portrayal of women in this novel. Anyway, back in Jiang Ziya’s world, he went to see Ji Fa to explain what unfinished Daoist business he had to attend to. To find out what he’s up to, tune in to the next episode of the Chinese Lord Podcast. Thanks for listening!
Music in This Episode
- “Sao Meo” by Doug Maxwell / Zac Zinger
- “Dark Toys” by SYBS (from YouTube audio library)
- “Ravines” by Elphnt (from YouTube audio library)