Gods 020: Flashback

We find out how Ji Chang’s freedom was won, or bought.

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Welcome to the Chinese Lore Podcast, where I retell classic Chinese stories in English. This is episode 20 of Investiture of the Gods. 

Last time, things were looking dire for Ji Chang, the Grand Duke of the West. One moment, his eldest son Bo Yikao was being led off toward seeming doom and Ji Chang was getting disturbing omens miles away. The next minute, the king was acting all nice to Ji Chang, first sending him a gift of venison buns and then sending him home some months later with pomp and circumstance.

In the midst of all that pomp and circumstance, Commander Huang the Flying Tiger invited Ji Chang to his house for a drink and a chat. After a few rounds, dusk was descending and candles were lit. Flying Tiger then dismissed his attendants. 

Once he was alone with Ji Chang, he said, “Sir, today you are enjoying boundless good fortune. But right now, his majesty listens to the wicked, not the loyal. He harms his officials and loses himself in sex and alcohol. He neglects the decorum of the court and the affairs of state. His cruelty has turned away the hearts and advice of loyal officials. The civilians are troubled, and unrest is erupting everywhere. In the East and South, 400 marquises have risen up in rebellion. Even someone as virtuous as you was imprisoned. Today, you are free. It’s like a dragon returning to the ocean, a tiger returning to the mountain, a golden turtle freeing itself from the hook. Why haven’t you come to your senses yet? Right now the court is chaotic. You should fly away from this cage as soon as you can and reunite with your family. Don’t stay in this prison and risk uncertainty.”

Hearing that, Ji Chang sprang to his feet and said, “Your words are like gold and have brought me to my senses. How can I ever repay you? Alas, even though I wish to leave, I still have to get through the five checkpoints between here and my territory.”

“That’s no problem,” Flying Tiger said. “All the military tallies are here at my home.”

As he spoke, Flying Tiger went and fetched the tallies, which were symbols of his authority. He gave them to Ji Chang and told him to change clothes. 

That night around 9 p.m., under the cover of darkness, Flying Tiger had two of his lieutenants open the west gate of the capital, and Ji Chang slipped out. He crossed the Yellow River and headed for the border.

So, before we get too far on the road, let’s backtrack and delve into what transpired that made King Zhou do a seeming 180 toward Ji Chang. The last we really saw him, King Zhou was blowing his lid at the Star-Picking Tower, fuming over what he thought was an attempt by Ji Chang’s son Bo Yikao to kill his queen, Daji. So let’s flash back to that moment and pick things up from there.

King Zhou had just ordered his guards to throw Bo Yikao into the Serpents Pit, but Daji told him to leave the prisoner to her. She met the guards at the foot of the tower and gave them their marching orders. 

First, they nailed Bo Yikao to a cross by his hands and feet. As he suffered this painful punishment, Bo Yikao cried out and cursed Daji nonstop.

“You whore! You will reduce the Shang’s enterprise to ashes! My death is of no concern. My reputation for loyalty and filial piety will endure. I may not have been able to eat your flesh in life, but I swear I will feast on your soul in death!”

As he cursed, the guards moved on to their next gruesome task. They started slicing off Bo Yikao’s flesh, bit by bit. Soon, Ji Chang’s eldest son had been reduced to meat paste. 

King Zhou now ordered his men to feed those remains to the snakes in the pit, but Daji once again interjected.

“I have often heard Ji Chang called a sage,” she told the king. “They say he can predict the future and is well-versed in the yin and the yang. But I have heard it said that a sage will not eat his son’s flesh. Why don’t you tell the kitchen to make some buns using Bo Yikao’s flesh as the filling. If Ji Chang actually eats his flesh, then his reputation is false. In that case, you can release him as a demonstration of your compassion. But if he refuses to eat the flesh, then you should execute him at once to eliminate any future trouble.”

“Your advice suits my thoughts exactly!” King Zhou said.

So later that day, the envoy showed up at Ji Chang’s residence in the town of Youli (2,3) and bestowed upon him the … umm … gift from the king. Now, remember that Ji Chang had gotten some ill omens earlier that day and cast a divination. When he did so, he immediately realized what had happened to his son, and what was about to happen to him.

“My child,” he lamented in his thoughts. “You did not listen to me, and now you have suffered such a cruel death. If I don’t eat your flesh today, I cannot escape. But how can I bear to do it? And I can’t even cry, or it will give away my knowledge of what’s to come, and that will put me in peril as well.”

And so, he swallowed hard and silenced himself. And when the messenger arrived with the king’s gruesome gift, Ji Chang literally swallowed hard and forced himself to eat three buns, knowing full well their content. 

As he watched Ji Chang, the envoy secretly sighed and thought to himself, “Everyone says Ji Chang knows heaven’s secrets and can tell the future. Yet, he doesn’t even recognize his own son’s flesh and is feasting on it. Looks like everything they say about his abilities is just a lie.”

When the envoy returned to court, King Zhou was playing chess with his two sycophant officials, Fei (4) Zhong (4) and You (2) Hun (2). The envoy recounted how Ji Chang ate three buns and even thanked the king profusely for the gift. 

“Ji Chang has a sterling reputation as someone who can tell the future and understand heaven’s secrets,” King Zhou said to the two sycophants. “And yet he didn’t even know he was eating his own son’s flesh. It’s obvious that his reputation is fake. He has been imprisoned here for seven years. I’m thinking of releasing him back to his state. What do you all think?”

Fei Zhong, however, said, “Ji Chang’s divinations are always accurate. He must have known that it was his son’s flesh. He only forced himself to eat it to avoid being executed. It’s a scheme to earn his freedom and one borne out of desperation. You must not fall for it.”

“No, if he knew it was his son’s flesh, he would not have eaten it,” the king said. “He’s a virtuous man, and no virtuous man can ever bear to eat his own son.”

“Ji Chang may look loyal and honest on the outside, but he is quite crafty on the inside,” Fei Zhong said. “He has fooled many people. You should keep him in the town. It’s like keeping a tiger locked up and a bird in a cage. Even though you aren’t executing him, it would diminish his prowess. Besides, the rebellions in the East and South have yet to be put down. If you let Ji Chang return to the West, it would be creating one more source of concern. Please think about it.”

“You’re right,” the king relented, and so, Ji Chang remained under house arrest.

Meanwhile, the entourage that had accompanied Bo Yikao to the capital soon learned of his fate, and they fled with all due haste back to the Western Qi. Once back, he went to the court, wept as they threw themselves on the ground, and recounted what happened. When Ji Fa (1), the second eldest son of Ji Chang, heard their report, he cried so hard in front of his officials that he nearly lost his breath.

Just then, his top military officer, General Nan (2) Gongkuo (1,4), shouted, “Our young lord went to the capital to offer gifts to the king, and yet he suffered such a horrendous fate. And the Grand Duke is still locked up in Youli (2,3). Despite such chaos, we have continued to observe the obligations of distant vassals out of consideration for the prior king. But our young lord’s cruel death stabs my heart and rends me asunder. With things as they are, why not mobilize our armies, seize the five checkpoints, and fight our way to the capital to kill that debauched king and elevate someone else to take his place?! That would put an end to the chaos and restore peace. We would be fulfilling our duties as vassals.”

Quite a few of the other officials and nobles present were of the same mind, and they all shouted their agreement while gnashing their teeth at the injustice. Ji Fa was struggling to make up his mind when suddenly, his top civil official, San (4) Yisheng (2,1), declared sternly, “My lord, don’t panic. Hear what I have to say!

“Sir, what advice do you have?” Ji Fa asked.

“My lord, you should order the guards to first arrest and behead Nan (2) Gongkuo (1,4), and then we can talk,” San (4) Yisheng (2,1) replied.

Wait, what? A stunned Ji Fa and the rest of the court asked San Yisheng why he would give such advice. He replied, “A disobedient official like him would plunge our lord into dishonor. So by all accounts, he deserves to be executed before we discuss the affairs of state. You all are just braun, no brains. You do not know that our Grand Duke is still observing the responsibilities of an official. Even though he is under house arrest, he has not uttered a single complaint. Yet, if you all decide to rebel, our lord will die a dishonorable death before your armies can even make it to the five checkpoints. How can you do such a thing?”

That little lecture left everyone, including Ji Fa (1) and even the instigator Nan Gongkuo, in shameful silence. San Yisheng now told them, “The crown prince refused to listen to my advice, and sure enough he got himself killed. When the Grand Duke left for the capital, he had said that he would endure seven years of misfortune but then he would come home on his own, and there was no need to send an escort for him. His words still echo in my ears. The crown prince ignored them and met with calamity. He also neglected to bring gifts for the sycophants Fei Zhong and You Hun. That is why he got himself killed. Right now, we should send an official to first go bribe those two so they can serve as allies on the inside. Then, I can draft a letter to sincerely beg for the Grand Duke’s release and beg them. Those scoundrels will no doubt agree to speak up on our behalf once they get their cut. Then the Grand Duke will naturally be allowed to come home. Then, we can cultivate our virtue and compassion, and join with other lords to wage war against the king. All the realm will answer our call. It will please the masses to remove a cancer and replace it with someone whose actions are more appropriate. Otherwise, if we seek out defeat, we will forever be remembered as a laughingstock.”

“Sir, your words are wise,” Ji Fa said. “You have instantly resolved the issue in my mind. Your advice is golden. But what should we send as presents, and who should lead the party?”

“You just need pearls, white jade, colorful satin, gold, jade belts, and such,” San Yisheng said. “Prepare two packages of presents. Deliver one to Fei (4) Zhong (4) and the other to You (2) Hun (2). Have two officers disguise themselves as merchants and travel to the capital to deliver the gifts. Once Fei Zhong and You Hun have received the gifts, our lord will be safely home soon.”

So Ji Fa immediately prepared the gifts, San Yisheng wrote two letters, and they sent two officers to deliver them. The officers made it across the checkpoints incognito. Once they arrived in the capital, instead of staying at the government guest houses, they instead stayed at private inns to lay low. 

One day, after court adjourned, Fei Zhong returned home and was informed by the doorman that an envoy from Western Qi had arrived. 

“About time,” Fei Zhong said with a chuckle. “Send him in.”

The envoy entered and introduced himself and explained why he was there. Fei Zhong read the letter that he bore, and it said:

“I, San Yisheng, a lowly official of the Western Qi, respectfully present this letter to high minister Fei Zhong. I have long admired your great virtue but have not been able to call on you because I am too ashamed to disturb you. I have not had the fortune of serving you, an opportunity for which I have yearned. My lord Ji Chang offended the king with his words. He should not have been spared, but thanks to your kindness, he was allowed to live. Even though he is imprisoned in Youli (2,3), you have given him a chance to live out the rest of his life in Youli. What more could we hope for? We are far away and can do nothing to express our profound gratitude except pray night and day for your good health and longevity. Now, we are presenting you with two pairs of white jade disks, 2,400 taels of gold and four rolls of satin as a meager expression of the gratitude of the people and officials of our land. But our lord is in his waning years. It is truly pitiful for him to reside long term in Youli. He also has an old mother, young children, and forlorn officials who are concerned about him and wish to see him again. Any compassionate gentleman would be able to empathize. I beg you to exercise your immense compassion and spare one word to change the heavens. If our lord can come home, your kindness would be immense, and you will be revered by generations of our people. 

After reading that lovely piece of bootlicking, Fei Zhong thought to himself, “These presents are extremely valuable. But how should I proceed?”

He thought for a bit, and then told the envoy, “Go on back for now and relay the following to Minister San (4): ‘It’s better that I do not write a return letter. But sooner or later, I will find an opportunity and help your lord return home. I will not disappoint you.’ ”

So the envoy thanked Fei Zhong and left. Meanwhile, the other envoy did the same routine at the home of the other sycophant, You Hun. When the two envoys got back together and compared notes, they were delighted with the outcome and hurried back to Western Qi.

As for the two sycophants, they each accepted their bribe, but did not tell each other about it. One day, they were both playing chess with King Zhou on the Star-Picking Tower. King Zhou was in a good mood because he had won two games in a row, so he called for a feast. The two sycophants sat next to him and offered him toast after toast.

In the midst of this party, King Zhou suddenly mentioned how Ji Chang’s son Bo Yikao was such a master musician and how sweetly his white-faced monkey sang. And then he said, “That Ji Chang ate his own son’s flesh. All this talk about him being able to divine the future is nonsense. Where was his power then?”

Seizing the opportunity, Fei Zhong said, “I had heard that Ji Chang had treasonous intentions, so I had always been on guard against him. But recently, I sent a confidant to Youli to check on him. All the people of the town said that he is actually very loyal, that he prays everyday for peace and prosperity in the country. Even though your highness has imprisoned him for seven years, he has never uttered a single ill word about you. In my view, he really is a loyal official.”

King Zhou was like, but dude, you were the one who was telling me that he was a traitor. That’s why I didn’t release him earlier. What’s up with this change of heart?

“It was hard to tell at the time whether he was loyal or not,” Fei Zhong explained. “That’s why I was on guard against him. But after sorting through the facts, I have come to realize that he is indeed a loyal man. As the saying goes, ‘It takes a long journey to reveal a horse’s endurance, and it takes time to see a man’s true heart.’ ”

King Zhou now asked You Hun what he thought, and You Hun said, “Fei Zhong’s report is indeed correct. In my view, Ji Chang has suffered for many years under house arrest, and yet he has been instructing the people of the town, and their conduct has been outstanding. They understand loyalty, filial piety, chastity, and honor, and know nothing of wickedness. They all call Ji Chang a sage. Since your highness asked me, I dare not reply with anything but the truth. Even if Fei Zhong had not spoken as he did, I would have.”

“Well, since both of you are saying the same thing, then Ji Chang must be a good man after all,” King Zhou said. “I am thinking about pardoning him. What do you think?”

“Whether or not he should be pardoned is something I dare not decide,” Fei Zhong said. “But He is loyal and filial, given that he has never uttered a complaint in all the time that he’s been at Youli. If your highness pities him and allows him to go home, he and his state would be reborn. They will be grateful for your kindness. They will no doubt do all they can and put their lives on the line to repay you. I believe Ji Chang would be loyal to you for the rest of his days.”

Seeing how strongly his colleague was advocating for Ji Chang, You Hun figured Fei Zhong probably got the same bribes he did, and he figured he should play his part as well, so that he, too, could get in on benefiting from Ji Chang’s gratitude in the future. So he told the king, “Your highness would already be bestowing heavenly kindness on Ji Chang by letting him go home. But if you bestow an extra degree of kindness on him, then he will no doubt be forever loyal to the country. Right now, the Grand Dukes of the East and West are laying siege to our defenses on the borders. Battle has been raging nonstop. In my foolish opinion, you should promote Ji Chang, and give him the fake appearance of authority, so that he may reign over the Western Qi on your behalf. Given his great reputation, all the nobles of the land will follow his example, and the rebels will retreat without a fight.”

King Zhou was delighted by this suggestion and praised both sycophants for their great ideas. He then issued a decree and dispatched an envoy to Youli to break the news to Ji Chang.

So, fast forward back to the present, and the newly freed Ji Chang had slipped out of the capital by night and was now rushing toward Tong (2) Pass. Meanwhile, the officials at his guest house panicked when he didn’t come back that night, and they quickly reported this to Fei Zhong.

When Fei Zhong heard the news, he told the officials that he would take care of it. But once the officials left, he thought to himself, “Ah crap! I was the one who advocated for Ji Chang’s release. What should I do now?”

Short on ideas, he quickly invited fellow sycophant You Hun over to huddle. When he told You Hun what happened, You Hun said, “No need to worry. We’ve got this. We can go see his majesty and ask him to send two officers to chase down Ji Chang and bring him. We’ll charge him with insulting the king and execute him in public immediately, and that will be the end of that.”

So the two of them hurried to the Star-Picking Tower. Fei Zhong told the king, “Ji Chang is undeserving of your kindness. He has disobeyed the court’s orders and insulted you. Just two days after leaving the palace, instead of repaying your kindness, he has secretly fled. He must be harboring ill intentions. If he is allowed to reach his territory, he will no doubt cause unrest. We dare not keep it from you. Please make a decision at once.”

King Zhou flew into a rage. “You two told me that he was loyal, that he was praying for the country every day. That’s why I pardoned him. Today’s trouble is all your fault!”

You Hun said, “Men’s hearts are always hard to read. You can see their faces but not their thoughts. As the old saying goes, ‘When an ocean dries up, you will see the bottom. But even when a man dies, you still can’t read his mind.’ Ji Chang must not have gone far. Please order the generals Yin (1) Pobai (4,4) and Lei (2) Kai (1) to lead 3,000 riders and arrest him so that he may be punished for fleeing.”

King Zhou agreed, and the chase was on.

Meanwhile, back on the road, Ji Chang was traveling methodically along the main thoroughfare after he had crossed over the Yellow River. Suddenly, he heard the sound of soldiers and horses approaching from behind. He turned and saw a big dust cloud and realized they were coming for him. He was scared out of his mind and sighed toward heaven, “Flying Tiger was looking for me, but I miscalculated for a minute and fled the city. They must have found out and someone told the king that I was running away. That’s why he’s chasing me. If they catch me, I’ll be done for.”

So he had no choice but to spur on his horse and gallop full speed ahead. But soon, the checkpoint at Tong Pass came into view in the distance up ahead, while his pursuers kept closing in from behind. He was trapped.

In the midst of this dire situation, Ji Chang suddenly heard a voice ring out from the top of a hill, “You down there. Are you Ji Chang, Grand Duke of the West?!”

He looked up, and then all around, but saw no one. “I’m done for,” he lamented. “I hear a voice but see no one. Ghosts must be playing tricks on me.”

Just as he was setting off again, he heard another shout, “Are you the Grand Duke of the West?!”

He looked up again, and this time, he found himself staring at … a fearsome looking creature standing on a nearby hilltop. It had a blue face with red hair, a broad mouth, and protruding fangs. Its eyes looked like bronze bells and glowed with flickering light. On its back were two huge wings.

Ji Chang was scared out of his mind, but then he collected himself and thought, “If he’s a demon or a ghost, then he won’t be speaking to me in human tongue. And with things as they are, it’s not like I can avoid him anyway. Let me ride up there and see what he wants.”

So he rode up to the top of the hill and called out to the creature, “Valiant, how do you know who I am?”

The creature immediately fell to its knees and said, “Father, please forgive me for arriving late and making you suffer such a fright. Forgive your unfilial son!”

Huh? What?

“Sir, you must be mistaken,” Ji Chang said. “Why do you call me father?”

“I am Thunderbolt, the son you adopted on Yan (1) Mountain.”

So, here’s a refresher in case you forgot, and who can blame you if you did, given how much craziness has happened since then. All the way back in episode 10, when Ji Chang was traveling to the capital seven years ago, he came across an infant boy by a grave after a fierce thunderstorm. He named the child Thunderbolt and left him in the care of the powerful Daoist, Master of the Clouds. Now, seven years later, father and adopted son were reunited, and the first thing out of Ji Chang’s mouth was, “What happened to your face?!”

Yeah, what did happen to his face, not to mention the rest of him? To see how that cute little baby Ji Chang had adopted turned into this creature, tune in to the next episode of the Chinese Lore Podcast. Also, if you are enjoying the show, consider taking a minute and leaving a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to the show to help others discover it. Thanks for listening!

Music in This Episode

• “Sao Meo” by Doug Maxwell / Zac Zinger
• “Ravines” by Elphnt (from YouTube audio library)
• “Slow Times Over Here” by Midnight North (from YouTube audio library)
• “Dark Toys” by SYBS (from YouTube audio library)
• “Desert City” by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100536; Artist: http://incompetech.com/)
• “The Quiet Aftermath by Sir Cubworth (from YouTube audio library)