Ji Nie's Demise

"King, those two villains of the Shen-Rong Alliance are evil men, like tigers, leopards, jackals, and wolves. If they break into Haojing City, they will certainly come looking for you first.

If you hide within the city, they are certain to find you.

That would put you in grave danger.

In my humble opinion, you should leave Haojing City immediately. That should allow you to escape the Shen villain's pursuit.

I brought an army from the Luo State. Every man among them is a mighty warrior.

With them protecting you, your safety and the queen's should be assured.

The two villains of the Shen-Rong Alliance are entering through the western gate. It will take them some time to reach here, and that is your chance to depart on a royal hunt.

If you leave through the eastern gate and head northeast, you can reach Mount Li and light the beacon fire.

Then the Jin State's King-Protecting Army will know where you are.

Remember to follow the mountain roads. The King-Protecting Army is certain to be somewhere along them.

I believe you may encounter the King-Protecting Army before the Shen villain catches you. Then your life will certainly be safe.

Crown Prince Fu is ill, and his body is rather weak. I doubt he could withstand the jolting journey.

If he travels with you, something might happen to him along the way, which would be unfavorable to you.

I will take the Crown Prince with me, separately from you. That may allow us to evade the rebels. Once Your Majesty returns with the King-Protecting Army, you and the Crown Prince can be reunited as father and son."

Ji Nie, who had long since lost all composure, could not help showing a trace of joy upon hearing this. He hurriedly said, "The Luo Clan truly produces loyal ministers generation after generation.

Marquis of Luo, I listened to the slander of wicked men before. I truly wronged you.

Had I listened to you and your father sooner, how could things have come to this?

Once we drive back those two villains of the Shen-Rong Alliance, I will appoint you to the Three Excellencies and place all affairs of state in your hands.

Only then can I make even a small repayment for your help."

Luo Cheng did not believe a word of it. Mountains and rivers could change, but a man's nature was hard to alter. Their temperaments were incompatible, and conflict was inevitable.

Having finished speaking, Ji Nie prepared to leave with Bao Si, who was already stupefied with terror. Whether he coveted her beauty or truly loved her, even now, with the mountains exhausted and the rivers at an end, he still insisted on taking her with him.

As though she had sensed something, Bao Si looked pleadingly at Luo Cheng. This most beautiful woman beneath heaven seemed capable of captivating all living souls at every moment.

Tears shimmered in Bao Si's eyes, yet her gaze was full of resolve.

She pulled a rather plain hairpin from her hair, pressed it into Luo Cheng's hand, and said through her tears, "Marquis of Luo, Fu has grown up by my side since he was little.

I do not know how long we will be separated this time. Sorry for the trouble, but please give this hairpin to Fu.

Tell him to take it out whenever he misses his mother. I would be eternally grateful."

Looking at the woman of unsurpassed beauty before him, Luo Cheng silently accepted the hairpin. Half soothing her, half making a promise, he said, "Rest assured, Your Majesty. The Crown Prince is my sovereign. I will take good care of him."

Hearing Luo Cheng's promise, Bao Si finally let go of that last thread of unease. The Luo Clan's promises were always trustworthy. Her son should be able to survive.

Bao Si cast one last lingering glance at the palace where Crown Prince Fu lived, then resolutely followed Ji Nie in fleeing Haojing City.

No, Ji Nie was fleeing for his life. She seemed more like someone going to her death.

She had done many things to keep herself alive, indirectly becoming the spark that ignited this calamity.

Now, to keep her son alive, she had relinquished her own life. What a complicated woman.

Luo Cheng wasted no time either. He had already arranged for someone to point out the direction in which the Son of Heaven, Ji Nie, had fled to Marquis Shen.

As Ji Nie was Marquis Shen's foremost target, once the marquis discovered his escape, he would certainly pursue him personally.

That would buy Crown Prince Fu a great deal of time to escape.

No one would imagine that Ji Nie had actually left without his own Crown Prince. By the time the rebels discovered it, it would be too late.

Luo Cheng would take Crown Prince Fu straight through the southern gate and join the King-Protecting Army from the Land of Yi-Luo. With the Luo Clan's prestige, he could unite the army and return to quell the chaos in Haojing City.

Then he would kill Marquis Shen and the False Son of Heaven he had installed, Ji Yi, who had committed the heinous crimes of regicide and patricide. Naturally, Queen Shen Jiang would not escape this political storm either.

This was the plan Luo Cheng had devised after confirming that Marquis Shen had joined forces with the Rong People to invade. Everyone on both sides of this struggle, except Crown Prince Fu, had to die.

The men Luo Cheng had arranged in advance brought Crown Prince Fu out.

Crown Prince Fu looked anxiously at the unfamiliar, burly warriors around him. Then he saw a very plain carriage stop before him.

A cultured, gentle man stepped out of the carriage and said, "Your Highness, I am Cheng, Marquis of Luo.

The situation is critical, and there is no time to explain. Please get into the carriage immediately. I will explain once I have taken you away from here."

The Marquis of Luo!

The instant he heard that title, Crown Prince Fu climbed into the carriage without the slightest hesitation.

To Crown Prince Fu, the Marquis of Luo, whom he had never met, was someone his mother constantly mentioned.

At first, her words had all been complaints and resentment. Especially as his royal father grew increasingly fond of him, his mother often spoke ill of the Marquis of Luo.

But on the day he was named Crown Prince, his mother's tone suddenly changed.

His mother had been very happy that day. She said that he would someday be king of all beneath heaven, the most powerful man in the world.

So he had said with a smile that once he became king, he would punish the Marquis of Luo and avenge his mother.

Unexpectedly, his mother first smiled, then told him very solemnly never to say that again.

She said that now he had become Crown Prince, the Marquis of Luo was his most trustworthy minister. If he became king, he must entrust the marquis with important responsibilities.

He did not understand, so his mother patiently explained it to him over and over.

Crown Prince Fu climbed into the carriage. Looking at the man before him, who was not particularly tall or imposing, he nevertheless felt a trace of security.

Luo Cheng ordered the driver to hurry at full speed. The Luo State's finest soldiers, whom he had brought to Haojing, escorted the two of them as they raced toward the city outskirts.

"Your Highness, the Shen State's army has already broken into Haojing.

They will certainly kill you and the King.

The King and the queen have already departed through the eastern gate on a royal hunt toward Mount Li.

We are leaving through the southern gate now. By separating, we have a better chance of surviving."

In a few brief sentences, Luo Cheng explained the current situation to Crown Prince Fu. Ji Fu was terrified, but he did not know what to do. He could only sit in the carriage in a daze.

The Shen and Rong People swarmed into the city like bees. The lesser nobles fighting on the walls immediately led the soldiers from their fiefs down from the ramparts to flee.

Once inside Haojing City, the Shen soldiers still showed some restraint, but the Rong People set fires, smashed things, and plundered everywhere. The entire city instantly descended into chaos.

Marquis Shen could only do his best to restrain them, but these Rong People soldiers had always been poorly disciplined. With the Rong King making no attempt to control them, his efforts had little effect.

Seeing that he could not control them, Marquis Shen simply gave up. The preservation of Haojing City was not yet his concern.

His most urgent task now was to kill Ji Nie. The King-Protecting Army could appear outside Haojing City at any moment.

Only by killing Ji Nie and Crown Prince Ji Fu could Ji Yi become the undisputed Son of Heaven of Zhou.

Then Ji Yi, who had indirectly murdered his father, could only rely on him to secure the throne.

Only then could he and the Shen State place themselves beyond defeat.

Marquis Shen's thinking was very clear. All the Shen State's chariots thundered into Haojing City, charging recklessly along its broad avenues straight toward the Royal Palace.

There were still many fleeing soldiers along the way. Some had come down from the walls and were preparing to escape; others handled logistics and scattered upon hearing that the Shen-Rong Allied Army had entered the city.

Marquis Shen led his army straight to the Royal Palace, whose gates were tightly shut.

"Where is the King?

I have come to purge the wicked from his side, execute the traitors, and rescue the Son of Heaven!"

Marquis Shen still remembered that he was playing the loyal minister purging the sovereign's side, and shouted loudly.

But after capturing a soldier and questioning him, he learned that Ji Nie had already escaped through the eastern gate. Then he saw the unmistakable tracks of a large force of chariots on the ground.

He decisively left some men behind to guard the Royal Palace and prevent the Rong People from breaking in.

"The King has been abducted by villains! No loyal minister can tolerate this.

Men of Shen, follow me to rescue the Son of Heaven."

He could no longer spare any thought for the treasures within the Royal Palace. He led his army straight toward the eastern gate in pursuit.

Once outside the eastern gate, he gazed into the distance. Sure enough, billowing clouds of dust marked the passage of chariots. Judging by their scale, there were at least one or two thousand men.

Standing on his speeding chariot, Marquis Shen brandished his Long Halberd and roared, "Whoever rescues the Son of Heaven will earn great merit! I will guarantee him a viscount's title!"

He had not yet captured Ji Nie, but Marquis Shen already felt very much like the master of the realm.

A mere viscount's title was nothing. Once Ji Yi ascended the throne, such rewards could be bestowed with a wave of the hand.

It meant little to him, but the lesser nobles' morale instantly surged. Howling with excitement, they drove their chariots forward in pursuit.

"King, it looks as though the Shen villain's army is pursuing us from behind."

Marquis Shen's pursuit was unmistakable. Many men in Ji Nie's army could even feel the earth trembling.

Ji Nie sat in his carriage as it raced for his life. Usually rather delicate, he no longer cared about its jolting. He gripped Bao Si's hand tightly, his face full of terror.

Bao Si, by contrast, wore a calm expression, though traces of fear were still visible.

Luo Cheng's earlier promise had left her with nothing more to worry about. She could face this ending calmly.

If time could begin again, she would still make the same choice and preserve her son's life.

Sensing Ji Nie's fear, Bao Si nestled into his arms and comforted him softly. "King, do not worry too much. You are Heaven's son. Heaven will surely protect you.

We will surely turn danger into safety. I will always remain by your side."

At Bao Si's comforting words, the tension Ji Nie had been holding taut suddenly seemed to snap.

He wept loudly. "I hold the exalted rank of Son of Heaven, yet I have never felt Heaven's protection.

The Luo Clan is merely one lesser lineage of the Ji surname, yet it has deities who stand beside the Supreme Deity and serve him.

If I were a descendant of the Sage King, how could I have fallen to this state?

Our ancestor King Wu wished to pass the throne to the Sage King. It was the Sage King who yielded it to King Kang because of the Lineage System.

Now it seems that although he yielded the throne, the Mandate of Heaven remained in the Sage King's lineage's hands.

It is not the Son of Heaven’s Greater Lineage that holds the Zhou State's Mandate of Heaven. How, then, could I receive Heaven's protection?"

Ji Nie's state of mind had clearly collapsed completely as he spoke. He could only mutter to himself to vent his anguish.

Bao Si rose from his arms and instead held him in hers, comforting him gently. "Your Majesty, the Sage King's Lineage serves as the Zhou State's Grand Clan Head.

They oversee the sacrifices. It is only reasonable that they can communicate with Heaven.

For two hundred years, the Luo Clan has loyally served the throne precisely because the Son of Heaven’s Greater Lineage is the symbol of the Mandate of Heaven!

Do not overthink it.

The Marquis of Luo promised me that he could keep Fu safe. He will certainly fulfill that promise.

As long as we escape, things can be as they were before. Fu loves you most of all. He will surely want to see you again."

Bao Si's gentle words slowly calmed the Son of Heaven Ji Nie's trembling body.

"King, the Shen villain is about to catch us!"

"Rescue the Son of Heaven! Execute the traitors!"

The earthshaking cries reached Ji Nie's ears. His face immediately flushed with rage. "That treacherous villain! He actually turns black into white like this! Why does Heaven not punish him?"

Marquis Shen finally caught up with his army. Looking at Ji Nie, now within arm's reach, he at last revealed a smug smile of triumph.

He had no intention of meeting Ji Nie face-to-face, nor did he even intend to let Ji Nie appear before everyone.

Was he supposed to murder his sovereign in broad daylight before so many nobles and State People?

What a foolish thing that would be.

Although his actions today were destined to earn a harsh entry in the histories, they were still fundamentally different from murdering his sovereign face-to-face.

Just as King Li had died amid the chaos of battle, who could know exactly how he had died? Since no one had witnessed it, no one needed to bear the charge of regicide.

The chariots came thundering forward. To ensure that Ji Nie died amid the chaos of battle, Marquis Shen had brought enough archers.

"Loose your arrows! Kill all the villains! Take care to avoid the Son of Heaven's carriage!"

Without another word, Marquis Shen ordered the archers to fire in high arcs. He deliberately shouted for them to avoid the Son of Heaven, but his trusted men naturally knew to aim specifically at him.

After just one volley, Marquis Shen discovered that the soldiers protecting Ji Nie were astonishingly vulnerable. These were not the elite troops of Zhou at all.

Luo Cheng's claim that they were the Luo State's elite had, of course, been a deception. How could he possibly send his true elite to die alongside Ji Nie?

These soldiers had all been conscripted from the Fiefs of the Royal Domain. They were there to die.

Seeing Marquis Shen loose arrows without a word, Ji Nie knew that he would certainly die here today.

Looking at Bao Si's exquisitely beautiful face, he smiled bitterly. "My beloved consort, we cannot escape this calamity today."

Bao Si smiled too, warmly. She held a sharp blade against her neck. With just a light press, a line of blood appeared on her snow-white throat.

"King, if there is another life, we shall meet again."

She pressed the blade hard. Bright blood flowed over her tender, snow-white skin, and the fragrance faded, the jade shattered.

Ji Nie held Bao Si's body in his arms. Countless feathered arrows pierced the carriage and turned him into a hedgehog.

"Who murdered the Son of Heaven?"

At that cry, both sides, who had been fighting fiercely, stopped at once. Marquis Shen drove his chariot to Ji Nie's carriage.

Trembling, he lifted the carriage curtain.

Ji Nie and Bao Si had died in each other's arms.

One had possessed the noblest blood and most exalted station beneath heaven, the son of the Supreme Deity in the hearts of countless Zhou People.

The other had been the most beautiful woman beneath heaven, one who could stir any heart.

Now their deaths lacked all dignity. Bao Si was in a better state, but nearly Ji Nie's entire back was covered in feathered arrows.

As though unable to believe that the Son of Heaven was dead, Marquis Shen dropped to his knees on the blood-soaked earth and wept bitterly.

"Son of Heaven! Your servant came too late!"

All the Shen State's soldiers who had followed Marquis Shen knelt on the ground and began to weep.

After crying for a while, Marquis Shen rose and dragged down the corpse of the Court Eunuch who had driven the Son of Heaven's carriage. He cut off the man's head and cursed loudly, "These villains actually murdered the Son of Heaven in secret! How can they have the face to stand before the people of the realm?

Cutting off his head shall be his punishment.

I am a lord of the Zhou State, yet I could not protect the Son of Heaven. This is my fault. Today, I shall offer my hair in place of my head."

With that, he cut off his hair, threw it to the ground, and viciously stamped on it twice.

With this performance finished, the most important target, Ji Nie, was dead, although he had not found Ji Fu.

Still, his objective had largely been achieved.

The most crucial task now was to return to Haojing and gain the support of the Lords of the Royal Domain.

He would announce to all of Haojing that the Son of Heaven had passed away, then immediately hold a simple enthronement ceremony for Ji Yi.

King You was muddleheaded and disorderly; wickedness abounded in the royal house. The lords rebelled against him, and he ultimately lost Fenghao. - Records of the Grand Historian: Annals of Zhou

Ji Nie was out. Dear Bao Si was out. Who would be next?