Gods 032: Changes of Heart
Grand Tutor Wen sends an army West to teach Jiang Ziya and company a lesson about offering sanctuary to rebels.
Transcript
Welcome to the Chinese Lore Podcast, where I retell classic Chinese stories in English. This is episode 32 of Investiture of the Gods.
So last time, Flying Tiger and company finally made it to the kingdom of Zhou, where they were enthusiastically welcomed and given a new home. Meanwhile, Grand Tutor Wen Zhong of the Shang Kingdom, who had been chasing Flying Tiger, was tricked by the Daoist master Virtue of the Pure Void into turning back and returning to the Shang capital. He was greeted by various court officials, who came to see him and asked how his pursuit went. He told them that somehow Flying Tiger just disappeared from the main road without a trace, and all the officials just remained silent. Grand Tutor Wen now thought to himself, “Flying Tiger may have eluded me, but he is still trapped between all the checkpoints on his flanks and the five passes in front of him. Even if he had wings, he won’t be able to fly away.”
Well, just then, an urgent report arrived, informing him that Lintong (2,2) Pass had fallen and that the commander Zhang Feng (4) had been killed by his subordinate Xiao (1) Yin (2), who helped Flying Tiger storm through the pass.
Before Wen Zhong could say anything, another report arrived, saying Flying Tiger had broken through Tong (2) Pass and killed its commander Chen Tong (2). That was followed by three more urgent reports, telling him that Flying Tiger had broken through the rest of those five passes that were supposedly impenetrable.
Wen Zhong flew into a rage. “The late king entrusted me with overseeing matters at court,” he fumed. “But now, the government has lost its way, war has broken out everywhere, and the South and East are in rebellion. Who knew that trouble just keep on coming. Now a senior official has rebelled and I couldn’t chase him down. Instead I was tricked into turning around. This must be heaven’s will. Right now, the outcome is undecided. I dare not disappoint our late king. I must fulfill my duty to the utmost and repay his kindness, even if it means my life!”
He now gathered all the military officers and said, “Generals, Flying Tiger has rebelled and is now serving Ji Fa. This will surely be trouble. If we don’t attack first and bring him to justice, then we would not be living up to our duties as vassals. What do you all think?”
The commander Lu (3) Xiong (2) now said, “Grand Tutor, the Grand Dukes of the East and South have been waging war against our borders nonstop. Even though Flying Tiger rebelled and fled, you just need to dispatch top generals to keep up a tight defense. If Ji Fa tries to invade our land, he will be blocked by the five passes, plus the Green Dragon Pass and Sweet Dreams Pass on the flanks. No matter how skilled Flying Tiger may be, they won’t be able to do much. There’s no need for you to get so worked up. With unrest on two fronts right now, there’s no reason to open up another front and cause more trouble for ourselves. Besides, our treasury is empty, and our provisions are insufficient. We must conserve our resources. As the old saying goes, ‘A top general must understand when to fight and when to defend. Only then can he pacify the realm.’ ”
“Old general, there’s reason in your advice,” Wen Zhong said. “But I worry that the West will not be content to stay where they are and they will cause trouble for sure. How can I not be prepared? Besides, the kingdom of Zhou has valiant warriors like Nangong (2,1) Kuo (4), wiley strategists like San (4) Yisheng (2,1), and sorcerers like Jiang Ziya. We must guard against them. If you wait until you’re thirsty to start digging a well, it’ll be too late!”
Lu Xiong now said, “If you are unsure about how to proceed, you could send a couple generals to go beyond the five passes and gather intel on the West. Then, if it looks like they should act, they may do so. If it looks like they should stop, then they can do that as well.”
Wen Zhong agreed and asked who could lead that mission. The officer Chao (2) Tian (2) immediately volunteered, and Grand Tutor Wen was quite pleased. He gave Chao Tian 30,000 men, and Chao Tian set out immediately with his younger brother Chao (2) Lei (2). They crossed over the Yellow River and went through the five passes. After some time on the road, they were approaching the Zhou capital. Chao Tian ordered the men to pitch camp outside the western gate.
That day, Jiang Ziya was chilling at home when suddenly he heard loud roars outside. He went out and asked what’s going on, and soon scouts arrived and said, “Prime minister, an army from the Shang is camped outside our western gate. We don’t know why.”
“Hmm, what could have spurred the Shang to invade our land?” Jiang Ziya thought to himself.
Jiang Ziya now assembled his officers and asked them if they knew why the Shang had sent an army here, and everybody was like, “I don’t know. I’m as shocked as you are,” all the while ignoring the elephant, or tiger, in the room.
Meanwhile, outside the city, Chao Tian discussed the situation with his brother Chao Lei. They decided to go challenge for battle first and see how things went. So Chao Lei rode out with saber in hand and demanded combat. Jiang Ziya asked who would go answer the challenge, and the general Nangong Kuo immediately volunteered. Jiang Ziya sent him out with an army and they lined up in front of the city.
Recognizing Chao Lei on the other side, Nangong Kuo shouted, “General Chao, hold on. Why has the king sent an army to invade our territory without cause?”
Chao Lei replied, “I am here on the king’s decree and Grand Tutor Wen’s command to punish Ji Fa for declaring himself the Martial King, disobeying the king’s decrees, and giving refuge to the traitor Flying Tiger. He is most despicable! Hurry on back and tell your lord to present the traitor to me immediately so I may take him back to the capital, and your city will be spared. If you delay, it would be too late for regrets!”
Nangong Kuo just chuckled and said, “Chao Lei, King Zhou (4) has committed egregious offenses.” He then went on to rattle off the usual litany of misdeeds by King Zhou, which I will not repeat here in the interest of time. Then, Nangong Kuo added, “My lord has abided by laws and the principles of humaneness as he reigns over Western Qi. Our king and his vassals respect each other. Our sons are filial and our fathers are compassionate. Two thirds of the realm belongs to the Zhou. Our people live in peace and prosperity, and our army is obedient. How dare you attack us? You’re looking for humiliation and trouble.”
Chao Lei was enraged by that smack talk, so he rode straight at Nangong Kuo, who also raised his saber to meet Chao Lei. After 30 exchanges, Nangong Kuo had Chao Lei on his heels. Before long, Nangong Kuo feigned a move and easily captured Chao Lei, lifting him up off his saddle and tossing him to the ground, where he was promptly bound and taken back into the city.
When Chao Lei was brought before Jiang Ziya, he refused to kneel.
“You are my prisoner; why do you refuse to kneel?” Jiang Ziya asked.
Chao Lei glowered and barked, “You are just a lowly fortune-teller! I am an official of a big kingdom. Since I was unfortunate enough to be captured, all there is left for me to do is to die. How can I kneel to you?!”
“Fine, take him outside and cut off his head!” Jiang Ziya commanded.
While the guards hustled Chao Lei outside, the officers present were snickering under their breath when they heard Chao Lei call out Jiang Ziya’s lowly origins. But Jiang Ziya picked up on this and told them, “Chao Lei called me a fortune-teller, but that’s nothing to be embarrassed about. The great minister Yi (1) Yin (3) was just a country bumpkin before he helped the first Shang king establish his enterprise. It’s only a matter of how soon you meet your lord.”
He then repeated the order to execute Chao Lei, but now, Flying Tiger stepped forth and said, “Prime minister, Chao Lei was just being loyal to his kingdom. Let me try to talk him into coming over to our side. When we invade King Zhou in the future, he could be useful.”
Jiang Ziya consented, so Flying Tiger went outside and found Chao Lei kneeling and waiting for the blade. Flying Tiger called out his name, but Chao Lei said nothing. So Flying Tiger lectured him, “You have failed to recognize the will of heaven, earth, and man. The kingdom of Zhou already possesses two-thirds of the land. The Shang may have the upper hand at the moment, but it’s like a cold spell in spring that cannot last long. King Zhou has offended the entire realm, causing endless unrest. And with the South and the East in rebelion, you can see which way the wind is blowing. My lord, the Martial King, has the knowledge and martial skills to ensure peace in the land. And when I arrived here, I was granted the equal of my title. All under heaven are leaning toward the Zhou kingdom, and the Martial King’s virtue rivals that of the ancient sage kings. I have spoken to the prime minister on your behalf, and he has consented to allowing you to surrender and serve our lord. If you persist on your misguided path, you will not be able to save your life, and it will be too late for regrets.”
After hearing that spiel, Chao Lei had a change of heart. He told Flying Tiger, “General, I insulted Jiang Ziya just now. He’s unlikely to spare me.”
“If you wish to surrender, I will do all I can to save you,” Flying Tiger reassured him.
“Your kindness has given me a new lease on life; how can I not obey your command?” Chao Lei replied.
So Flying Tiger went back inside and told Jiang Ziya that Chao Lei was ready to surrender. Jiang Ziya said, “It would be dishonorable to kill a foe who has submitted. Since you have vouched for him, I shall spare him.”
So Chao Lei was released, and he came in and kowtowed and said to Jiang Ziya, “I insulted your lordship in the spur of the moment and should have been punished for it. Yet you have shown me mercy. Your kindness is immense.”
Jiang Ziya replied, “General, if you can serve our state faithfully and risk your life for our lord, then we are colleagues. So there is no offense to speak of. Now that you have joined us, you can summon your troops to come over to our side as well.”
Chao Lei told him, “My brother Chao Tian is still encamped outside the city. Let me go talk to him and convince him to come over as well.”
Jiang Ziya agreed, and Chao Lei went back out of the city. Later that day, he returned and told Jiang Ziya, “My brother is willing to submit on one condition. He said that he’s a general appointed by the king. If he came and surrendered after I was captured, he would lose respect in the eyes of your officers. He hopes you will do him a favor and send someone to his camp to issue an invitation so he can save face.”
So Jiang Ziya asked who would go deliver the invitation, and Flying Tiger volunteered. So he and Chao Lei went on ahead. When they approached the opposing camp, they saw Chao Tian standing by the camp gate and bowing to Flying Tiger, saying, “My lord, please come in.”
So the three of them went inside, and as soon as they entered the heart of the camp, Chao Tian shouted, “Seize him!” And guards sprang out of hiding and tied up Flying Tiger.
“You despicable, dishonorable crook! How can you repay my kindness with treachery?!” Flying Tiger cursed.
Chao Tian scoffed, “As the saying goes, ‘You can wear out iron shoes with all the searching, but in the end, it takes no effort at all.’ I came to arrest you and take you back to the capital, and you’ve delivered yourself to my door.” He then commanded the army to immediately decamp and head back toward Shang territory.
So, as it turns out, when Chao Lei returned to camp, Chao Tian asked him how he managed to come back alive after being captured. Chao Lei told him, “I was captured and taken to see Jiang Ziya. I even insulted him, and he wanted to execute me. But Lord Flying Tiger showed me the errors of my ways, and I have submitted to the kingdom of Zhou. I have come to ask you to join me.”
Chao Tian flew into a rage and cursed his brother. “You damn scoundrel! How can you listen to Flying Tiger’s crafty words and surrender to the enemy? You are now in cahoots with rebels. How can I face Grand Tutor Wen?!”
“Brother, don’t you get it?” Chao Lei said. “We are not the only ones submitting to the Zhou. The rest of the land is also submitting to the Zhou these days.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” Chao Tian said. “But if you and I surrender, what of our parents, wives, and children back in the capital? We may be safe, but we would cause the execution of our parents. How can we live with that?”
“So what can we do?” Chao Lei asked.
Well, fast forward to the present, and we found out what they did. With their gullible prisoner in tow, the Chao brothers set out with their troops and headed back toward the five passes. They marched silently and quickly, hoping to get back into friendly territory before the enemy caught on. After about 15 miles, they were approaching Dragon Canyon when suddenly, they saw two banners waving and an army spread out in a line, shouting, “Chao Tian, leave behind Lord Flying Tiger. We have been waiting here for you on our prime minister’s orders.”
So these were troops led by the Zhou generals and brothers Xin (1) Jia (3) and Xin Mian (3). As it turns out, Jiang Ziya was a little less gullible than Flying Tiger. As soon as Flying Tiger went with Chao Lei to his brother’s camp, Jiang Ziya dispatched the Xin brothers to come here and wait, just in case. Turns out, his hunch was right.
Chao Tian was furious. He shouted, “I haven’t hurt any of your officers, and yet you dare to try to abduct a prisoner of the court?!”
He now rode straight forward with saber raised. Xin Jia hoisted his battle ax and they started trading blows. After 20 bouts, Xin Jia was starting to get the better of Chao Tian, and his brother Xin Mian (3) thought, “We must surge forward if we are to save Flying Tiger.” So he now charged into the enemy ranks. Chao Lei tried to fight him, but turned and fled after just a few exchanges. Xin Mian then chased off the rest of the enemy troops and saved Flying Tiger.
Flying Tiger thanked him for the rescue and got back on a horse. When he saw Chao Tian fighting with Xin Jia, Flying Tiger couldn’t help but fume, “I treated him with honor and yet he betrayed me!”
So he now rode into the fray and joined the fight. After just a few exchanges, he easily captured Chao Tian and had him bound. Flying Tiger then pointed at him and cursed, “You traitor! You dared to set a trap for me?! And yet, how can you hope to fool Prime Minister Jiang? We have the will of heaven on our side!”
While the Zhou army returned to their capital with Chao Tian in tow, Chao Lei was busy fleeing along whichever back road he could find in the Western Qi Mountain. Around 9 p.m., he finally found his way back to the main thoroughfare and saw lanterns ahead. Just as he was riding, he suddenly heard a loud explosive, and another army appeared, led by the general Nangong Kuo, who had also been sent here by Jiang Ziya.
“General, please let me pass,” Chao Lei pleaded.
Uh, yeah, good luck with that, buddy. Nangong Kuo told him, “No need for words; surrender at once!”
Chao Lei got mad and rode forward to fight, but as we already found out earlier, he was no match for Nangong Kuo. Within a few bouts, Nangong Kuo had captured him alive, again.
As the first light of morning crept in, both Chao brothers were now bound and standing in Jiang Ziya’s administrative compound, awaiting their fate. Flying Tiger thanked JIang Ziya for rescuing him, and JIang Ziya told him, yeah the rest of us saw that coming a mile away.
The two prisoners were now brought in, and Jiang Ziya scolded them, “You scoundrels! How can you deceive me? This is child’s play! Guards, take them outside and execute them!”
As the guards were taking them outside, Chao Lei shouted, “I’m innocent!”
Jiang Ziya chuckled, “You clearly set a trap to deceive us. How can you claim innocence?”
Nonetheless, he told the guards to bring Chao Lei back. He asked Chao Lei, “You scoundrel. You and brother schemed against a loyal man in the hopes of returning to your state in victory. But I was on to you the whole time. Now that you’ve been captured, you deserve to die. How are you innocent?”
Chao Lei said, “Your eminence, everyone knows that the whole land is submitting to the Zhou. But my brother said that because our parents are in the Shang capital, if we two surrendered, then our parents would pay for it with their lives. We had no recourse but to draw up this pathetic little scheme. Now that you’ve seen through it and captured us, we do deserve to die.”
“Since you have family back in the capital, you should’ve told me and we could come up with a plan to relocate them,” Jiang Ziya said. “Why did you betray us instead?”
“I’m an idiot and have no foresight,” Chao Lei said. “If I had told you earlier, it wouldn’t have come to this.”
As he spoke, Chao Lei’s face was covered with tears. Jiang Ziya asked him, “Are you truly sincere about this?”
“If I have no parents and am just making this up, then Lord Flying Tiger would know,” Chao Lei said.
Jiang Ziya then asked Flying Tiger if Chao Lei really had parents in the capital, and Flying Tiger answered in the affirmative. And kind of surprisingly, Jiang Ziya ordered his men to release the Chao brothers. The two of them now kneeled to thank him, and he told them, “Chao Tian will stay here as a guarantee. Chao Lei, you will carry out my orders, and we will get your family out of the capital.”
Some days later, Chao Lei showed up back in the Shang capital and went straight to see Grand Tutor Wen. Wen Zhong summoned him and asked about the situation in the West. Chao Lei replied, “We were met by the enemy general Nangong Kuo. I went out and fought him to a standstill. The next day, my brother went out and defeated Xin Jia. But after several days of fighting, the outcome was still undecided. But Han Rong (2), the commander of Sishui (4,3) Pass, refused to send us more provisions, so our army is in chaos. Food is the lifeline of the troops, so I had no choice but to rush here to ask you to dispatch more provisions at once, along with reinforcements.”
Wen Zhong thought about it for a long while and then said, “I had sent urgent commands previously. Why did Han Rong refuse to send you provisions? Alright, you go mobilize 3,000 more men, and 1,000 bushels of grain, and rush back to Western Qi. I will dispatch another top general to help you. Don’t delay.”
Chao Lei immediately did as he was commanded and went to fetch his 3,000 men and 1,000 bushels of grain. But while he was at it, he also swung by his house and packed up his whole family and they all left the capital together and rushed back to the West. They made it through the five passes without trouble, and once they returned to the West, Chao Lei went to see Jiang Ziya, kowtowed, and said, “Your strategies are amazing and always right on. My family is now in the city. I will never forget your kindness!”
He then told Jiang Ziya what Wen Zhong had said, and Jiang Ziya said, “Grand Tutor Wen will no doubt send troops to attack us. We must prepare for a big fight.”
Three or four days after Chao Lei left the capital again, Grand Tutor suddenly thought to himself, “Why won’t Han Rong at Sishui Pass send provisions? There must be something fishy here.”
So he burned some incense, got three golden coins, and cast a divination. He took one look at the result and smacked his desk, shouting, “Dammit! I slipped up and let that traitor sneak his family away!”
He was pissed and wanted to send troops after Chao Lei, but by now, Chao Lei was long gone. So Wen Zhong turned to two of his Daoist disciples, Ji (2) Li (4) and Yu (2) Qing (4) whom he should send next to attack the Zhou.
Ji (2) Li (4) said, “Master, if you want to attack the Zhou, you must send Zhang (1) Guifang (4,1), the commander of Green Dragon Pass.”
Wen Zhong agreed and quickly dispatched an urgent command to Green Dragon Pass. At the same time, he sent a top general to help take over command of the pass. When Zhang Guifang got the orders, he immediately handed over command of the pass to the other general and mobilized 100,000 troops to head west. After some days, they entered the territory of Western Qi, and Zhang Guifang ordered his men to stop and pitch camp.
Word of this army’s arrival quickly made its way to Jiang Ziya, who assembled his officers to discuss how to repel the enemy. He asked Flying Tiger, “How is Zhang Guifang as a commander?”
“Well, prime minister, since you asked, I dare not answer with anything but the truth,” Flying Tiger replied.
“Why do you speak thus?” Jiang Ziya asked. “We are both top officials and confidants for our lord.”
Flying Tiger told him, “Zhang Guifang is a sorcerer and uses his magic to harm others.”
“What kind of sorcery does he wield?”
“It’s very unusual,” Flying Tiger said. “Whenever foes face off in battle, they always start by exchanging names. Well, let’s say if Zhang Guifang faced me. In the midst of our fight, he would shout, ‘Flying Tiger, dismount now!’ And I would fall off my ride. That’s his sorcery; it’s hard to counter. You must instruct all the officers that they cannot tell him their name if they encounter him in battle. Anyone who does will be captured.”
Those words brought a show of concern to Jiang Ziya’s countenance, but the rest of the officers were skeptical. They scoffed, “How can someone make you fall out of your saddle just by calling your name? If that were the case, then all he has to do is call each of our names and we’ll all be captured.” And so they all snickered under their breaths.
The next day, outside the Zhou capital, Zhang Guifang ordered his vanguard general Feng (4) Lin (2) to go challenge for battle. Feng Lin rode to the foot of the city and demanded combat. Jiang Ziya asked who would go answer the call, and an officer named Ji (2) Shuqian (1,2) volunteered. Now, he was one of Ji Fa’s 98 brothers, and he had a fiery temper. He had been chafing since hearing Flying Tiger talk up the enemy yesterday, so he wanted the first crack at the foe. He rode out with spear in hand and saw an enemy officer with a blue face, red hair, and gnarly looking teeth.
“Are you Zhang Guifang?” Ji Shuqian (1,2) asked.
“No! I am Commander Zhang’s vanguard general Feng (4) Lin (2),” his foe answered. “I have come on the king’s decree to pacify rebels. Your lord has betrayed the king for no reason and declared himself king. He has also taken in the rebel Flying Tiger. And now that the heavenly troops have arrived, not only does he refuse to show us his neck and await his death, he dares to resist?! Tell me your name and meet your doom!”
Ji Shuiqian was enraged by that trash talk. “All the vassals of the land have pledged their allegiance to the Zhou!” he said. “It is heaven’s will. How dare you invade our territory and seek your own demise? I’ll spare your life today. Go tell Zhang Guifang to come out.”
Feng Lin did not take kindly to that slight, and charged at Ji Shuqian while twirling two wolf-toothed maces. Ji Shuqian raised his spear, and the two went at it. After 30-some bouts, Ji Shuqian was starting to get the upper hand. He was very skilled with the spear, and Feng Lin was using short weapons, which put him at a disadvantage. Soon, Ji Shuqian shouted, “Gotcha!” and stabbed Feng Lin on his left leg. Feng Lin turned and galloped back toward his own camp, and Ji Shuqian gave chase.
But Ji Shuqian forgot the first rule of Shang Dynasty Fight Club — everybody except Flying Tiger has some trick up their sleeve. In this case, Feng Lin was also a sorcerer, and he now muttered an incantation and spat. From his mouth, a gust of black smoke spurted out and turned into a net with a red ball as large as a bowl. This shot straight at Ji Shuqian and struck him squarely in the face, knocking him off his horse. Feng Lin then turned around and landed a blow that finished him off. He cut off his slain foe’s head and returned to camp in victory. Soon, the head of one of the Zhou’s princes was hanging from the camp gates.
So this was not a promising start for Jiang Ziya and company. To see how they will try to bounce back, 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
- “The Quiet Aftermath by Sir Cubworth (from YouTube audio library)
- “Ravines” by Elphnt (from YouTube audio library)