Return to Qi

The thunder of galloping hooves shattered the tranquility of Zhao City, and Luo Xi hurried into the palace, her expression alight with excitement.

"Father, it is done! Lian She proved his valor and killed the Marquis of Qi, Wu Jiu, with a single arrow. Minister An Ning is now executing Wu Jiu's relatives.

Qi has no ruler now. Minister An Ning has already sent an envoy to invite Xiao Bai home to inherit the throne. We can send Xiao Bai back!"

Politics in most states were chaotic at the time. Princes often fled into exile, and it was hardly uncommon for another lord to send one home to inherit his throne.

When political turmoil first began in Qi, Prince Xiaobai's mother had feared trouble and sent him to the Luo State for refuge beforehand.

Sure enough, Lü Wu Jiu later murdered his ruler and seized the throne.

Xiao Bai's full elder brother had remained in Qi and was killed by Lü Wu Jiu.

Now Minister An Ning of Qi had executed Marquis of Qi Wujiu. Both surviving princes of the previous marquis were abroad, and either could ascend directly to the throne upon returning.

Luo Xiu had gone to such lengths. Naturally, he would not sew a wedding gown for someone else to wear.

He immediately said, "Xi, summon Xiao Bai here. Also inform your Third Uncle that we must prepare troops to escort Xiao Bai home.

Make arrangements for the members of the Ducal Clan who will accompany Xiao Bai to Qi as well. You must escort him personally."

Since he intended to send Prince Xiaobai home, Luo Xiu certainly would not let him return alone to become a puppet.

He would select capable soldiers from Luo's army to serve as Xiao Bai's guards, and draw men capable of administering a state from Luo's Ducal Clan and High Minister Clans to serve as his eyes, ears, hands, and feet.

His mother should have prepared these people for him, but she had died young. Thus, his uncle could only provide them in her stead.

Luo Xi nodded eagerly. "Yes, Father.

I have also sent men to Qu State to kill Prince Shao, lest another ministerial clan in Qi bring him home. The news should already be on its way."

The Luo State Ruling House had cultivated a band of assassins, sworn men adopted in childhood specifically for such tasks. They had never yet failed.

They had not killed Prince Shao earlier because Lü Wu Jiu was still alive. Such a blatant act might have put him on his guard.

Now that Lü Wu Jiu was dead, Prince Shao might become a contender for Xiao Bai's throne, so he had to die. Luo could not tolerate another struggle for the throne within Qi's ruling house anytime soon.

Luo Xiu had truly racked his brains to ensure Lü Xiao Bai's smooth accession.

By then, scarcely any state still chose its heirs according to the lineage system.

Even when a crown prince had been explicitly appointed, the other princes still possessed succession rights. Thus, murders of rulers were frequent.

Such a thing had never happened in Luo. After all, who would dare worship the Sage King in the ancestral temple after murdering his ruler to seize the throne?

There was also the ring passed down through successive clan heads. It weighed a thousand catties; anyone who had murdered his ruler to ascend could not put it on.

Unlike other states, Luo did not grant succession rights to sons born of concubines. Such sons did not bear the Luo clan name, so Luo had few princes, and everyone generally knew whose turn it should be.

Upon hearing that his uncle had summoned him, Lü Xiao Bai soon arrived at the palace.

"Uncle!"

Lü Xiao Bai bowed respectfully to Luo Xiu. He was deeply grateful to him; without Luo Xiu, he would probably have been a corpse by now.

"Xiao Bai.

There has been a coup in Qi. Minister An Ning has executed Lü Wu Jiu and sent an envoy to Luo to welcome you home as its ruler.

Do you wish to return?

If you do, your uncle will send troops to escort you."

Luo Xiu gazed at Lü Xiao Bai with a warm smile as he spoke.

Lü Xiao Bai froze where he stood. Who could remain calm upon hearing such news?

Soon, however, excitement filled his face. Though the Marquis of Luo had always treated him well, he was still a prince living beneath another's roof. What man did not dream of waking to hold the power of the world in his hands?

In dreams at midnight, had he never imagined borrowing his uncle's troops to return home and seize the throne?

But he understood that as long as Lü Wu Jiu had no intention of breaking the Ji-Jiang Alliance, his uncle would not attack Qi.

That was a principle upheld by every generation of the Marquis of Luo!

Now his uncle was actually willing to send troops to escort him home, and even asked whether he wished to go. This was the throne of Qi, a great eastern state. Who could refuse?

Without the slightest hesitation, Lü Xiao Bai knelt and bowed to Luo Xiu as a son would to his father. He clung to Luo Xiu's leg, tears pouring from his eyes like a spring, and cried in anguish, "Uncle, I wish to return.

Five years!

That villain Lü Wu Jiu killed my father and elder brother. How many members of the Ducal Clan did he slaughter? He did not even spare my brother's three-year-old child.

Such a villain was even more hateful than the Lai Yi!

My hatred for him is like a river winding toward the sea. Unless the mountains and rivers cease to flow, it will never end.

I know that you are the ruler of Luo and must preserve stability among All Xia. You cannot strike at such a great state.

That is why I never asked you to avenge me.

This hatred has burned in my heart like a fire. Night after night, I have tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

Heaven has shown mercy and given me this chance. How could I not avenge my father?

Once I return, I will kill every one of Wu Jiu's relatives, drag out his corpse, grind his bones, and scatter his ashes.

Surely then my father can rest in peace.

You sheltered and raised me in my hour of peril. Those are things only a father would do.

Now you are even sending troops to help me return. How weighty is this kindness?

Even if I carved it upon Mount Tai, even if I swore before the Luo River, I could not repay the slightest part of it. I truly do not know how to thank you.

If I can return to Qi, I will offer you five cities in Lu Land. This is my filial devotion to you, and repayment for your help."

Lü Xiao Bai spoke through tears, until he was choking so badly that he could scarcely utter a word. Clearly, he had suppressed his feelings for far too long.

He had come to Luo as a child, and while living there had learned that his father and brother had been murdered, leaving him with a home he could not return to. There was nothing false about his hatred for Lü Wu Jiu.

Luo Xiu patted Lü Xiao Bai's shoulder and soothed him. "Xiao Bai, your mother died young. You are the only child she left in this world.

Now that you can become Qi's ruler, she will surely be proud of you in heaven.

After returning to Qi, you must be a wise ruler and treat your subjects kindly. Whether nobles and ministers or the people of the state, treat them fairly. Then, surely, you will sit securely upon your throne.

Qi is a great state among All Xia. Its strength is still needed to suppress the Eastern Yi.

The blood of the Luo Clan flows in you, so you bear the great duty of revitalizing All Xia. I have high hopes for your future, and your mother surely looks forward to your achievements as well."

After speaking, Luo Xiu pondered briefly, then added, "Once you become ruler, you will certainly have many beauties and many children. But Xi Yi joined you when your fortunes were low and has devoted herself to you all these years. You must treat her and her children well.

I have sent a letter to the Marquis of Yan. Previously, you were a guest in Luo without a fief of your own, so he sent only some goods and wealth.

Now that you are inheriting the throne, many Yan nobles, relatives of Xi Yi, will likely soon go to Qi to serve you. They will all be sources of support."

Xi Yi was Lü Xiao Bai's principal wife, a noblewoman from Yan's ruling house. As an exiled prince, Prince Xiaobai should no longer have been a suitable match for a woman of such status.

But Luo Xiu had only this one nephew. As the saying went, after one's mother, one's maternal uncle stood foremost. Thus, he had specially sent Luo Xi to Yan to seek a noble bride for him.

"Uncle!"

Lü Xiao Bai kowtowed heavily once again. Words could no longer express his gratitude.

[A major historical event has begun! Your Fortune Points are accumulating faster!]

The system notification drew Ji Zhao's attention. Major historical events were logical programs embedded in the foundations of the world.

Triggering a historical event required the right people at the right time. Since history had already diverged considerably, not every event would still occur.

After leaving Luo Xiu, Lü Xiao Bai could not suppress the joy on his face. He even wanted to burst into laughter, but reason told him that he must find Guan Zhong immediately.

If he was returning to Qi, Guan Zhong was someone he absolutely had to take with him. Otherwise, he would achieve little after going home.

Guan Zhong belonged to Luo's Ducal Clan and had gained a modest reputation over the years.

Although he had not yet entered official service, the Luo State Ruling House had provided him with a small private courtyard and even a maidservant.

That day, he was still in his room revising "Venerate the King," determined that it would make him soar to fame with a single cry.

He had not expected Lü Xiao Bai to visit suddenly. Xiao Bai knew that Guan Zhong had been absorbed in writing lately and had not disturbed him.

Guan Zhong did not put away "Venerate the King." Its bamboo slips lay arranged across the table.

Somewhat puzzled, he welcomed the hurried Lü Xiao Bai inside and asked, "Xiao Bai, why have you come so suddenly? Is something urgent?"

Lü Xiao Bai pulled Guan Zhong straight to the table and laughed aloud. "Zhong, there has been a coup in Qi. Minister An Ning has killed Lü Wu Jiu.

Qi has no ruler now. Minister An Ning has sent an envoy to Luo to welcome me home to inherit the throne. My uncle just told me that he will send troops to escort me."

Prince Xiaobai was going home to inherit the throne?

His closest friend was about to become the ruler of a great state?

Guan Zhong felt dazed.

"I came here not to bid you farewell, but to invite you to Qi with me.

I know you possess the talent to weave heaven's warp and earth's weft, a worthy man no less capable than Duke Wen of Luo.

The Sage King once said, if a ruler knows of a worthy man yet does not respectfully invite him, how could his state become strong?

To obtain a worthy man, even mountains of gold may be cast aside.

You are such a man. If I wish to accomplish something great, I must have your assistance.

That is why I came here, hoping you would accompany me to Qi. You are my closest friend, and I trust you utterly.

Once we return, I am willing to place the office of chief minister in your hands. I will support every policy you propose."

In fact, the moment Lü Xiao Bai said he was returning home, Guan Zhong had already guessed that he meant to invite him along.

Faced with Lü Xiao Bai's invitation, Guan Zhong hesitated. As a member of Luo's Ducal Clan, he naturally wished to serve Luo.

Yet Lü Xiao Bai was his closest friend and would soon hold the exalted title of Marquis of Qi.

When the ruler of a great state invited him so respectfully, trusted him so deeply, and offered him such authority, how could he refuse?

The Sage King had once said that when a ruler regarded his ministers as his hands and feet, they would regard him as their heart and soul!

Sage King, faced with such courtesy, what should I do?

Seeing Guan Zhong hesitate, Lü Xiao Bai naturally understood his thoughts. He bowed solemnly and said, "Zhong.

I know what is in your heart. You belong to Luo State's Ducal Clan, so you wish to assist the Luo State Ruling House.

But forgive my frankness: the Luo State Ruling House overflows with talent. Even without A Zhong, it can maintain its standing as a great state.

Qi is different. After repeated internal turmoil, the country is ravaged and impoverished. This is precisely the moment for you to spread your wings.

The Sage King said, 'Honor All Xia and disdain the Yi and Di.' He also said, 'The Yi and Di with rulers are inferior even to All Xia without them.' Transforming the Yi into Xia is the great undertaking of the kingly way. Luo can accomplish it without your help.

But Qi cannot!

And have you not said that you wish to venerate the king?

Luo's late Duke Hui declared that the Luo Clan would not attend the Zhou State court for a hundred years. Your great theory of Venerate the King has no room to be implemented in Luo.

As long as you accompany me to Qi, I will heed all your proposals.

Today, my uncle told me to make Qi flourish. The burden of suppressing the Eastern Yi rests upon my shoulders.

As a descendant of the Sage King, do you not wish to utterly destroy the Lai Yi State east of Qi, which has clung to us like an abscess upon the bone all these years?

You always ask what ambitions I have.

For a destitute prince exiled abroad, even clinging to life depended upon the Luo blood in my veins. How could I dare ask for more?

Now, I can say this.

I will eradicate the Eastern Yi, who have remained unconquered for three hundred years, and accomplish the great undertaking that Qi's past rulers never completed. This is what all our ancestors hoped for.

I will uphold the righteous way, revitalize All Xia, and inherit the Sage King's will. With half my blood descended from him and ten years of upbringing among the Luo Clan, this is what I ought to do.

I need you. You are a worthy man capable of assisting a sage monarch. Without you, I cannot accomplish these things."

Whatever Lü Xiao Bai's actual ability to govern might have been, his personal charisma was certainly strong.

His speech considered everything, from their friendship to Guan Zhong's political ideals and identity, and even a vision of the future.

Anyone who witnessed it would have seen a heroic ruler!

At this point, Guan Zhong no longer hesitated. He bowed directly and said, "Guan Zhong pays his respects to the Lord of the State."

With that bow, their relationship as ruler and minister was established.

Lü Xiao Bai excitedly helped Guan Zhong up and laughed aloud. "We met when our fortunes were low. With your help, my great undertaking will surely succeed."

Sending a prince home to inherit a throne was no simple matter, especially when that assistance was a political investment.

Luo Xi led five thousand troops to escort Lü Xiao Bai to Qi's border. The small states along their route had all been notified beforehand; most were dependencies of Luo.

On the other side of the border, members of Qi's Ducal Clan were already waiting. Here lay the importance of bloodline in that age.

While Lü Wu Jiu lived, Lü Xiao Bai's status as a son of the previous Marquis of Qi had naturally been worthless.

But once an opportunity like this arose, his indisputable succession rights became a treasure that even a thousand pieces of gold could not buy. This was what it meant to hoard a rare commodity.

The interests of countless members of Qi's Ducal Clan and High Minister Clans had been bound to him from birth.

Luo could openly assist him, pouring into him without so much as blinking enough wealth to let anyone live in splendor for a lifetime.

Nobles in Yan who had never met him would automatically serve him because Xi Yi had married him. They would do so willingly, and even feel grateful to this fallen prince whom they had once looked down upon.

All of this was because he was Lü Xiao Bai: a prince of Qi, nephew of Luo's ruler, and husband of Yan's princess.

The current Marquis of Qi!

These people bowed before him. Holding the lives of over a million people in his hands, Lü Xiao Bai had never felt so exalted, nor had he ever felt his responsibilities weigh so heavily.

He bowed to these Qi nobles as well. In that age, rulers and ministers were still largely equals: when a minister bowed to his ruler, the ruler returned the bow.

"Xiao Bai, you are about to return home. Never forget the earnest teachings of your masters at the academy over these years. Be a wise ruler and revitalize Qi and All Xia."

Luo Xi was truly happy for her younger cousin. Xiao Bai had lived in Luo for ten years, and the bond between them was deep.

"Having Guan Zhong accompany you to Qi is a stroke of fortune. He is a talented member of the Ducal Clan. Once you reach Qi, you must entrust him with great responsibilities.

You have only just ascended the throne. I fear you may not even have reliable men for your palace guard.

Father has selected three hundred warriors for you in Luo, all longtime followers related to you. Their families are still selling their property at home, and afterward they will all come to Qi.

Lü Wu Jiu was assassinated, so you must be careful. With them protecting you, I can feel somewhat more at ease.

Xiao Bai, this is where we part!"

Searching his heart, Lü Xiao Bai knew that his treatment in Luo over the years had hardly resembled that of an exiled prince. Luo Xi had always cared for him. Seeing her about to return to Luo, he clasped her hand and said emotionally, "Cousin, I have no way to repay ten years of care.

Please tell Uncle that I will never betray all the effort he has devoted to me."

The two cousins parted there, and Luo Xi led the army back to Luo.

Lü Xiao Bai crossed the border with Guan Zhong and three hundred armored warriors to meet the Qi nobles who had already become somewhat unfamiliar to him.

Members of Qi's Ducal Clan and High Minister Clans crowded forward in great numbers. Most had not belonged to Lü Wu Jiu's faction and had been excluded during his rule.

Thus, they were especially eager for Lü Xiao Bai's return, hoping to seize enough benefits under the new order.

Minister An Ning naturally stood at the very front. The An Clan had executed Lü Wu Jiu and welcomed Lü Xiao Bai home, making him the foremost contributor. Lü Xiao Bai would certainly give him an important role.

"My lord, you have finally returned!

The An Clan received such deep favor from the late ruler, yet allowed his son to remain in exile. This was a minister's disgrace!

Now that you have finally returned to Qi, when I die, I need not face the late ruler in shame."

Lü Xiao Bai clasped Minister An Ning's hand and said through tears, "Only when the world grows difficult does loyalty reveal itself. Minister An Ning, you have avenged me. I will never forget it."

"Upon my return to the state, I shall sweep away all evil spirits, so that my kin and noble relatives may be spared the troubles they suffered under the traitor Wu Jiu.

"Lord An, let me introduce you. This is Lord Guan, a great worthy of the Luo Clan's Ducal Clan. My uncle painfully parted with him for my sake. Henceforth, you two shall serve as my left and right Chief Stewards and assist me together."

With these words, Lü Xiao Bai brought Guan Zhong to the forefront of Qi State and made his background clear, ensuring that none of those present dared slight him.

Once he reached Linzi, untangled the relationships within Qi State, and his powerful supporters arrived, Lü Xiao Bai would immediately appoint Guan Zhong Chief Minister to reverse the decline Qi State had suffered over the years.

An Ning cast a discreet glance at Guan Zhong. His handsome face, composed expression, and piercing bearing made it clear at a glance that he was no ordinary man.

A member of the Ducal Clan whom the Marquis of Luo had recommended to Lü Xiao Bai?

Of everyone in Qi State, An Ning knew the full course of Lü Wu Jiu's killing best.

Although everyone was spreading the word that he had slain Lü Wu Jiu, he knew perfectly well that Lü Wu Jiu had died at the hands of assassins from the Luo State.

Without the Luo State's assassins taking action, killing Lü Wu Jiu so swiftly and cleanly would not have been so simple.

Then he recalled Luo Xi standing beside the young man before him earlier, and immediately concluded that this truly had been arranged by the Marquis of Luo.

Smiling broadly, he said, "My lord, if you do not welcome the great worthy recommended to you by the Marquis of Luo with a high office, how can you demonstrate the friendship between our two states?

"It is my honor to work alongside such a worthy minister. How could I possibly be dissatisfied?

"Whatever your command, I am willing to carry it out with loyalty and integrity."

Lü Xiao Bai was very pleased with Minister An Ning's declaration. He laughed heartily and said, "I have a great worthy like Guan Zhong and a loyal minister like Minister An Ning. With so many worthy ministers assisting me, how could the state fail to flourish?"

"Congratulations!"

The nobles burst into cheers.

Duke Huan appointed Master Guan as his chancellor. Master Guan possessed a gift for recognizing talent and admonished Duke Huan, saying, "A great hall is not built from the timber of a single tree; the vast sea is not filled by the waters of a single stream. To fulfill great ambitions, one must first employ worthy men. Qi State has four worthies who may be employed, and employing them shall bring prosperity."

Duke Huan asked, "Who are these four?"

Master Guan said, "Zhang Qi, a noble son of Yan State, is strong and vigorous and thoroughly versed in military affairs. He may serve as Grand Marshal. Wang Cheng, a great worthy of Qi State, is fair, strict, and discerning, and never falsely accuses the innocent. He may serve as Grand Minister of Justice. An Ning, a member of the Luo State's Ducal Clan, is loyal and upright and deeply understands that the people are the foundation of the state. He may serve as Grand Minister of Education. Lu Chan, a scion of the ducal house, has studied mechanical ingenuity in depth and is skilled at discerning mountains and rivers. He may serve as Grand Minister of Works."

Duke Huan said, "Excellent!"

In the tenth year, the people of Qi said, "It was through employing the Four Luminaries of Huan and Guan that Qi State flourished." - Guanzi: Admonitions