Deep within the courtyard, a gentle breeze stirred.
Lü Buwei discovered that Jiang Yang seemed to know everything, from astronomy above to geography below. He even had a profound understanding of the Hundred Schools of Thought, giving Lü Buwei extraordinary insights.
Jiang Yang, meanwhile, discovered that Lü Buwei was indeed exceptionally wise, comparable even to the figures of the Hundred Schools of Thought several centuries ago.
The wisdom of these mortals also brought him many realizations.
The two grew more familiar as they talked, until eventually Lü Buwei spoke of his ancestors, saying dejectedly,
"To be honest with you, my lord, though I am a merchant, I also harbor the ambition of restoring my lineage to glory. When people mention our Lü family, their first thought is of a merchant household. Yet few know that I, Lü Buwei, am a descendant of Jiang Ziya, the prime minister of Zhou. Our Lü clan of the Jiang surname once held Qi as our fief and sat upon its throne!"
At this, Jiang Yang's expression immediately turned peculiar.
"You are a descendant of the Lü clan of the Jiang surname? Jiang Zhiya was your ancestor?"
"Yes, Lord Tai'an. I am Jiang Ziya's twenty-third-generation descendant."
Lü Buwei replied.
Well, wasn't this a coincidence.
Jiang Yang thought, then asked,
"Then do you know of Jiang Ziya's eldest son, Jiang Qi?"
"Jiang Qi? Of course I do. Although this ancestor's story does not appear in official histories for certain special reasons, it is clearly recorded in our Lü Clan Genealogy."
At this point, Lü Buwei spoke with unmistakable pride.
"Although Ancestor Jiang Qi was our founding ancestor's son, his mastery of civil and military affairs stood unrivaled in his age. In our clan's annotations, only two words could describe him."
"Oh? What words?"
Jiang Yang asked.