Gods 009: Fugitives

Left alone by their rescuers, the two princes set out on their quest to raise armies to avenge their mother.

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Welcome to the Chinese Lore Podcast, where I retell classic Chinese stories in English. This is episode 9 of Investiture of the Gods. 

Last time, not content with just killing his queen, King Zhou (4) decided to kill his two sons as well. But before his henchies could get to them, two generals, the Fang brothers, had whisked the princes out of the capital. They set off with the intent of going to see the Grand Dukes of the East and South to raise two armies to avenge the queen, but soon, the Fang brothers had second thoughts. And so they essentially told the princes, uh yeah, it’s better if we all split up. You may be prepubescent teenagers who have never been outside the palace and have murderous henchies on your trail, but just follow the major thoroughfares, and you’ll do fine. Ok, bye!

So now, the two princes found themselves alone, standing at a fork in the road. 

“Brother, which path do you want to take?” the crown prince Yin Jiao (1) asked the younger prince, Yin Hong (2).

“It’s up to you,” Yin Hong said.

“Then I will go to the East and you go to the South,” Yin Jiao decided. “When I see our grandfather, the Grand Duke of the East, I will tell him about this grave injustice. He will no doubt mobilize his forces, and I will send a messenger to let you know. If you can raise an army as well, then we can converge on the capital, capture Daji, and avenge our mother. Do not forget our mission!”

Yin Hong nodded with tears in his eyes. “Brother, when will we meet again?” he asked.

The two brothers wept bitterly once more before taking leave of each other. We’ll follow the younger prince, 12-year-old Yin Hong, as he makes his way south. As he walked, he could not stop weeping. It wasn’t long before he was overcome with fatigue and hunger, which were foreign concepts to him until  a couple days ago. Eventually, he passed a village shack where a family of peasants were eating. Yin Hong walked over and said, with all the airs befitting a prince, “Bring me food!”

The peasants could tell from his red outfit and his uncommon appearance that he was no ordinary teenager. So they offered him a seat and brought him some rice. After he ate, he got up and said, “Thank you, and sorry for disturbing you. I don’t know when I will be able to repay you.”

The peasants asked him who he was and where he was going. Yin Hong said, “I am none other than the prince Yin Hong. I am on my way to see the Grand Duke of the South.”

Sigh. So much for traveling incognito. The peasants immediately fell to their knees and paid their respects. Yin Hong asked them for directions, and they told him he was on the main thoroughfare leading south. So he left the house and continued on his way. But, unaccustomed to the hardships of the road, he traveled no more than a few miles that day. As night was descending, he found himself in the middle of nowhere. 

Worried, Yin Hong pressed on for another mile or so. Amid the dark pine forests, he suddenly saw an old temple. Glad to see a possible place to spend the night, he rushed over. A sign on the door identified the place as a temple to the Yellow Emperor, the mythical founder of Chinese civilization. Yin Hong went in, prostrated himself in front of the altar, and said, “Great Sage, you were a virtuous and saintly ruler. You taught the people how to make clothing, how to observe the rites and laws, and how to conduct themselves in the marketplace. You were honored and respected by all. I belong to the 31st generation of the Shang Dynasty and am the son of King Zhou. My father has behaved improperly, killing his wife and then trying to kill his sons. I have chosen to flee from those woes and must spend the night in your temple. I will leave tomorrow. Please protect me! If I can find refuge somewhere, I will rebuild this temple and recast your image in gold.”

After that, Yin Hong was overcome by fatigue and quickly fell asleep.

Meanwhile, on the road heading East, the crown prince Yin (1) Jiao (1) had traveled for a day and covered about 15 miles. As the sun was setting, he came across a large mansion, emblazoned with the words “Minister’s Residence”. 

“This must be a high official’s home,” Yin Jiao said to himself. “I can stay here tonight and resume my journey tomorrow.”

So umm, if you are the crown prince trying to travel incognito while fleeing murderous henchies from the court, I really can’t think of a worse place to stop for the night than the home of an official. But we’re talking about a 14-year-old here who really doesn’t have much sense or experience in the real world. In any case, Yin Jiao called into the residence, “Is anyone home?”

Nobody answered, so he stepped through the door, and then he heard someone inside sighing and reciting a poem, which said:

As prime minister for years,

Loyalty still wells up in my heart.

For the benefit of the state,

Never once did I act for personal gain.

A sudden specter appears in the palace,

The innocent turn into ghosts!

Retired, I care still for the kingdom.

Sadly I watch the downfall of this reign.

“Is anyone home?” Yin Jiao asked again.

This time, he got a reply. The voice of an old man asked: “Who’s there? It’s dark. I can’t see you in the shadows.”

Yin Jiao said, “I am traveling and it was getting late, so I would like to ask for lodging here for tonight. I will leave tomorrow morning.”

The old man said, “Judging by your accent, you sound like you’re from the capital.”

“I am.”

“Do you live in the countryside, or in the city?” the old man asked.

“In the city.”

“In that case, come inside. I have a question for you.”

Yin Jiao stepped into the room where the old man was sitting and was stunned. He recognized his host.

“Prime minister! It’s you!” Yin Jiao said in surprise.

So as it turns out, the old man was none other than Shang Rong (2), the former prime minister who resigned after watching a couple of his colleagues suffer horrible deaths at the hands of the king. He had retired to his home, which just so happened to be here. 

When he saw the crown prince, Shang Rong kneeled and said, “Your highness. What are you doing here? Please forgive me for not welcoming you outside.”

Shang Rong thought for a second, and then continued, “Your highness is the crown prince. Why are you traveling alone? This cannot bode well for the state. Please sit down and tell me what has happened.”

With tears flowing yet again, Yin Jiao recounted once more what happened to his mother, his brother, and himself. Shang Rong could not stand it. He stamped his foot and shouted, “How can that tyrant be so cruel and inhuman! He has severed the ties between husband and wife, father and son, and lord and ministers! I may have retired, but I have not stopped worrying about the affairs of the court. Like a storm blowing from nowhere, the palace has fallen into chaos. The queen has died a tragic death, and the two princes are now fugitives. Why have none of the officials spoken up? How can they allow things to get to this point?! Your highness, please don’t worry. I will go to the capital and speak plainly to his majesty to convince him to change his ways and avert disaster!”

Shang Rong then ordered his attendants to arrange a banquet to welcome the crown prince, while he planned to write up his petition to the king once morning came.

The next day, Shang Rong was preparing to head to the capital when suddenly, a general and 50 soldiers showed up outside his residence. This was Yin (1) Pobai (4,4), one of the two officers the king had sent to track down his sons. 

When we last left Yin Pobai (4,4) and his comrade Lei (2) Kai (1), they had just set out on their search, weighed down by the 3,000 old and feeble soldiers that Flying Tiger had given them. Saddled by this lead anchor, the group traveled only about 10 miles a day. After three days, they only covered about 30 miles and had seen no sign of the princes. On the third day, they arrived at the fork in the road where the major thoroughfares to the East and South parted. 

Lei Kai said to Yin Pobai, “Let’s keep the bulk of the men here. We’ll each take 50 of the more fit men and go on ahead down each path. You head east, and I’ll go south.”

“Quite right,” Yin Pobai said. “Otherwise, we will never catch up traveling with all these old and weak soldiers.”

So the two of them agreed to meet back at the fork in the road, and then they went their separate ways with a small detachment of men. Yin Pobai traveled for another day or so heading east, and passed Wind and Cloud Town. A few miles outside the town, he came across a compound with golden characters that said, “Minister’s Residence.” He recognized that this was Shang Rong’s house and dismounted. 

As it turns out, Yin Pobai actually got his start as a retainer in Shang Rong’s service. So now that he was passing by his former benefactor’s home, he felt compelled to go in and pay his respects. Also, because the people in Shang Rong’s home recognized him, they saw no need to announce him. They just let him go straight in. But as he walked into the main hall, lo and behold, there was Shang Rong, sitting and eating with the very crown prince that Yin Pobai was hunting.

Yin Pobai approached them and said, “Your highness, prime minister. I have come on his majesty’s command to ask the crown prince to return to court.”

“Ah, General Yin,” Shang Rong said angrily. “Your timing is perfect. Maybe you can tell me why none of the 400-some civil and military officials at court would admonish his majesty. They are all mutes, worrying more about rank and fame, more concerned with holding on to their positions than serving the country faithfully! What kind of a world is this?!!”

And so he went on and on, getting angrier and angrier, until the crown prince, who was scared by this display of rage, asked him to stop.

“Prime minister, please don’t get worked up,” the crown prince said. “General Yin has come to arrest me on the king’s decree. I figure I am done for.”

As he spoke, the prince wept again, but Shang Rong shouted, “Your highness, don’t worry! I’m not done yet! I will go talk to the king!”

He then shouted for his attendants. “Men, prepare my horse and luggage. I will go see the king personally.”

Well, this was a dicey situation for Yin Pobai. He didn’t want to be going back to the capital with a pissed off old prime minister in tow. So he said, “Prime minister, please hear me. I have come to invite the prince back on the king’s command. Let me return with him first, and wait for you at the capital. You can come right behind us. That way, I can report back to the king before attending to my personal connections with you. Can you allow me that?”

Shang Rong chuckled. “General Yin, I catch your meaning. If I go in with you, you’re worried the king will punish you for showing bias. Fine. Your highness, you may go on ahead with General Yin, and I will be right behind.”

Now, if I were Shang Rong, at this point I would be damned if I was gonna let the crown prince out of my sight, much less tell him to go on ahead back to the father who was ready to kill him. But Shang Rong was confident that the prince would be safe until he got to the capital. The prince, though, obviously felt differently. As he left Shang Rong’s house, he wept nonstop and dragged his feet the whole way. 

Just as they were about to hit the road, they heard Shang Rong calling to Yin Pobai from behind. 

“General Yin, I’m holding you responsible for the crown prince’s wellbeing. Don’t get greedy and dishonor the bond between lord and minister. Otherwise, you will pay for it with your life!”

Yin Pobai bowed and promised nothing would happen to the prince on the way. He then set out with Yin Jiao in tow. As they traveled, Yin Jiao thought to himself, “It doesn’t matter what happens to me. As long as my brother Yin Hong is still alive, the day will come when I shall be avenged.”

After a couple day’s travel, they arrived back at the fork in the road. They were greeted at the camp entrance by Lei Kai, the other general leading the search party. When he saw the crown prince, Lei Kai rejoiced and said, “Your highness, welcome back!”

Yin Jiao dismounted, walked into the main tent and immediately froze. There, seated in front of him, was his younger brother Yin Hong.

So, while Yin Pobai was searching along the road heading East, Lei Kai was leading his 50 men and searching the road heading South. They traveled nonstop from day to night. As darkness fell, Lei Kai told his men, “Eat a full meal, and then we’ll resume the chase tonight. They can’t be far off.”

The soldiers did as he commanded, and they soon resumed the chase. By the time 9 p.m. rolled around, however, they were all worn out. Some of the riders almost fell off their horses because they were falling asleep in the saddle. 

Lei Kai thought to himself, “We have been chasing all night. Could we have passed the princes? If they are behind us and we keep going forward, we would be wasting our time. Why don’t we rest for the night so we have energy tomorrow.”

So he ordered his men to start looking for a place to turn in for the night. That was music to their ears, and they started searching the nearby woods. Soon, they came upon a temple and they told Lei Kai they could stay there that night.

When they pushed open the temple doors, their torches lit up the room. Underneath the altar, they saw someone lying on the floor asleep. Lei Kai took a closer look and recognized that this was none other than the younger prince, Yin Hong. He thanked his lucky stars for this coincidence, and then woke up the prince.

Yin Hong startled awake to the sight of torches and men crowded around him, and he recognized Lei Kai.

“Your highness,” Lei Kai said, “I have come on his majesty’s command to ask you to return to court. All the court officials are keen on protecting you, so don’t worry.”

“General Lei, there is no need to say more,” Yin Hong said. “I know full well that I cannot escape calamity. I am not afraid to die. But I can’t walk anymore. Can you let me ride your horse?”

“Of course,” Lei Kai said immediately. “Your highness may take my horse, and I will follow on foot.”

And so, Yin Hong left the temple, seated atop Lei Kai’s horse and surrounded by his escort as they headed back to the fork in the road.

Back to the present, and the two princes had just been unwillingly reunited. The crown prince, Yin Jiao, felt as though his heart was being stabbed. He clutched his brother and started weeping aloud. “What offense against heaven did we commit in our previous lives?!” he lamented. “No matter where we fled, we could not escape. And now we are both caught, and there is no hope of avenging our mother. Pity that our mother died an innocent death, and we will soon follow!”

The two princes cried so bitterly that even the 3,000 soldiers could not help but be moved. But there was nothing to be done except to head back to the capital, so they set out. As they arrived outside the city, they pitched camp, and the two generals went on ahead into the city to report their success, secretly rejoicing.

Meanwhile, word of this quickly reached the commander Flying Tiger. When he heard that the two generals had returned with the princes, Flying Tiger flew into a rage.

“You scoundrels!” he cursed. “For personal gain, you have forsaken the future of the Shang Dynasty. I will have your heads for this!”

He immediately called up his four generals and sworn brothers and told them, “Go alert all the veteran nobles and officials. Have them assemble at the palace gate.”

He then mounted his rainbow ox and headed to the palace. No sooner had he arrived did he see officials trickling in. Before long, the Second Minister Bi Gan and all the royal nobles and top officials had arrived. 

Flying Tiger now addressed them. “My lords, fellow ministers: What happens today rests on you. I am but a soldier and I am clumsy with words. We must come up with a plan quickly.”

Just as they were discussing, they saw soldiers escorting the two princes to the palace gate. They all rushed up to the princes and paid their respects. The two princes wept, and Yin Jiao shouted, “Uncles, ministers! Pity that we, the 31st generation of the House of Shang, are about to be executed! As the crown prince, I have never misbehaved. Even if we have committed mistakes, we should only be demoted. We do not deserve to lose our heads. Please think of the enterprise of the Shang and save our lives! We would be forever grateful!”

While the officials tried to reassure the princes that they had their backs and not to worry, the two generals who found them, Yin Pobai and Lei Kai, went to Daji’s palace to see the king. When they had reported their success, King Zhou said, “Since you have arrested my treasonous sons, there is no need to come see me. Behead them by the palace gate at once. Come see me when you have buried their corpses.”

“But we dare not take action without your majesty’s decree!” Yin Pobai said.

Well, you’ve got it then. King Zhou quickly wrote the word “Execute” on a piece of paper and handed it to them. The two generals returned to the palace gate. But they were met there by a furious Flying Tiger.

“Yin Pobai, Lei Kai! Congratulations on your great service in capturing and executing the princes!” he scowled. “But you don’t want to rise too high in rank. It could be hazardous to your health!”

Before the two could answer, another official, the minister Zhao (4) Qi (2), charged forward, ripped the execution order out of their hands, and tore it to shreds, all the while shouting, “That tyrant is wicked, and you scoundrels are his accomplices! Who would dare to ask for a royal decree to execute the crown prince?! Who would dare to raise the royal sword against their lords?! All rites of the court have been lost! Nobles, fellow ministers! The palace gate is no place to discuss affairs of the state. Let’s go to the Grand Hall and ring the gong and beat the drum to ask his majesty to hold court. And then, for the sake of the state, let us admonish him.”

Seeing that the court ministers were all up in arms, the two henchies were scared stiff and didn’t know what to do. Flying Tiger now ordered his four sworn brothers to stand watch over the two princes. The palace guards tied up the two princes and awaited the execution order, knowing full well that there was still plenty of drama to come between the king and his ministers.

Over at Daji’s palace, King Zhou suddenly heard the ringing of gongs and beating of drums coming from the Grand Hall. Before he could ask what was going on, the royal attendant told him that the ministers were asking him to hold court. 

Turning to Daji, King Zhou said, “This must be about my treasonous sons. The officials all want to protect them. How should I deal with them?”

Daji said, “Your majesty should issue a decree saying: “The princes are to be executed today. Tomorrow, the king will see the ministers. Tell Yin Pobai to hurry up and carry out your orders.”

A few moments later, the royal attendant returned to the Grand Hall and announced the king’s decree: 

“Per his majesty: When the king summons you, you cannot delay. When the king commands you to die, you dare not live. This has always been the law. The king is supreme. The treasonous princes Yin Jiao and Yin Hong have trespassed the boundaries of filial piety. They carried a sword into the palace and killed the assassin Jiang Huan (2) in an attempt to eliminate the witness. And then they dared to threaten officials acting on the king’s command and even tried to kill their father. They have violated all laws of propriety. Now that they have been apprehended and brought to the palace gate, they must submit to the law. Officials: Do not assist the wicked. Heed my words. I will hold court tomorrow to deal with any affairs of state you may have. Consider yourselves officially notified.”

That stern warning left the officials at a loss over what to do. As they were standing there fretting and talking amongst themselves, they had no idea that the execution order had already made its way out to the palace gate. As soon as they received the command, the executioners prepared to do their work. But just then, a huge gale whipped up, and the air was filled with a strange fragrance while sand and pebbles swirled all around. It got so dark that the men could not see each other, and the soldiers were covering their faces with their sleeves. And then they heard a loud crash, as though a mountain had collapsed. A second later, the wind stopped, the sky lightened, and all was quiet again. Except, the princes were gone.

Word of this quickly made its way around the palace and beyond. When the officials at court heard this, they secretly rejoiced, whispering to each other, “Heaven has taken pity on the innocent princes and preserved the future of the Shang.” But when King Zhou heard about this, he fell into silence and just wondered to himself what had transpired.

Before everyone had time to process what just happened, more drama followed. The former prime minister Shang Rong showed up at court. He had heard whispers among the commoners outside that the two princes were swept away by the wind. Stunned, he rushed to the palace and saw it under heavy guard. He entered and met the officials. 

“My lords, fellow ministers, please forgive me,” he told them. “I had not retired for long when I heard that his majesty had lost his way, killed his wife, and was trying to kill his sons. All of you enjoy the court’s benevolence. Why have none of you spoken up and admonished him?!”

Flying Tiger told him, “Prime minister, the king stays deep in his inner palace and refuses to come to court. We have tried to request an audience time and again, but could not see him. And today, the two princes were arrested and brought back. They were tied up at the palace gate, awaiting the execution order. Minister Zhao (4) Qi (2) tore up the order, and we rang the gong and beat the drum to ask his majesty to come to court. But he only sent his attendant to deliver his decree to execute the princes and that he would not meet with the officials until tomorrow. We cannot go in, so if he refuses to come out, what can we do? Thank heaven that a wild gale swept away the two princes. Yin Pobai just went in to report to the king and hasn’t come back out. Just wait. When he returns, we’ll know more.”

Just then, Yin Pobai came back out. Before he could say a word, Shang Rong accosted him and said sarcastically, “The princes have been blown away. Congratulations on your great service! You will receive your own title and fiefdom soon!”

Yin Pobai bowed and said, “Prime minister,  you blame me unjustly. I was acting on the king’s orders. It wasn’t personal.”

Shang Rong now said to all the officials, “I have come to see the king. I don’t expect to live. I will admonish him and sacrifice myself to repay the state, so that I may see the spirit of our former king in heaven.”

He then ordered that the gong and drum be beaten. Over in Daji’s palace, King Zhou was like, oh what now?! He set off for the Grand Hall in a foul mood, took his seat, and received the officials. 

“What business do you all have?” he asked.

Just then, he saw a man kneeling before the steps to his throne. He was not an official, and he was clad in white, the color of mourning.

“Who is that on his knees?” King Zhou asked.

“Shang Rong, the former prime minister, pays his respects,” the man said.

King Zhou was taken aback and asked, “You have retired. Why have you come here without being summoned? Do you not know that you’re supposed to stay away?”

Shang Rong approached on his knees, with tears in his eyes, and said, “Even though I am no longer prime minister, I have yet to repay the country’s kindness to me. Recently, I heard that your majesty has been indulging in women and wine and disregarding all propriety. You have listened to the wicked, ignored the good, thrown proper relations into chaos, and forsaken your duties. When the lord acts improperly, disaster is imminent. I am risking my life to beg you to accept what I have written in my petition. If you would follow this course, it would be like the brilliant light of the sun shining through a sky full of dark clouds. The whole country will admire and praise your boundless virtue!”

To see how the king will react to this latest round of scolding, and to find out what exactly happened to the princes, tune in to the next episode of the Chinese Lore Podcast. Thanks for listening!

Music in This Episode

• “Sao Meo” by Doug Maxwell / Zac Zinger
• “Dark Toys” by SYBS (from YouTube audio library)
• “St. Francis” by Josh Lippi & The Overtimers (from YouTube audio library)
• “Slow Times Over Here” by Midnight North (from YouTube audio library)
• “The Quiet Aftermath by Sir Cubworth (from YouTube audio library)