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King Xiang deliberately paused, picking up the wine jug on the table and filling a cup for himself, downing it in one gulp as if savoring the boldness and dominance of those times. He looked at The Wanderer and asked, “My lady, what did that soldier say?”
The Wanderer shook her head, indicating she did not know.
“That soldier turned pale with fear, kneeling beside my bed with trembling hands, saying, ‘Your Majesty, you may not know this, but in this world, who would dare to even mention the word “Qin”? It is the Lords of the Eight Directions who are currently gathered outside your jade tent, all shouting in unison, “Long Live Your Majesty!”’ Upon hearing this, I dared not delay; I quickly got up to groom myself and change clothes. There was no time to don my battle armor; I ordered the lords of the realm to enter and discuss matters.”
“The summons was sent at the hour of the snake, changed at noon, and again at the hour of the monkey. Yet outside Yuanmen, I still saw no sign of the lords arriving. These arrogant individuals who usually hold their heads high made me wait for a full three hours! The sun had already begun to set when I finally heard a commotion outside Yuanmen. Can you imagine what it was? Hmph! A bunch of spineless creatures!” King Xiang exclaimed, suddenly throwing his wine cup to the ground, his eyes wide with fury as if he wanted to tear apart that humiliating memory.
Seeing his expression, The Wanderer guessed part of his thoughts but remained quietly seated, waiting for him to continue.
“In my prime, I was so formidable that I could shake mountains and command respect across the world. With a single roar, I could make the Qin Army tremble in fear! This world was carved out by my own sword and spear; how dare these turtles make me wait so long!” King Xiang grew more animated as he spoke, seemingly transported back to that era of clashing swords and iron horses when he was full of vigor.
“I was growing impatient and about to send someone to urge them when I saw Yuanmen slowly open. A dark mass knelt before me—there wasn’t a single person standing! At first, I thought they were some short fellows daring to be so bold. But as I approached and looked closer, I realized these were none other than those warlords and ministers who usually strutted around with their noses in the air! Each one treated their knees as if they were feet, inching forward like maggots. Isn’t that ridiculous?” King Xiang said with a laugh that was filled with sorrow and helplessness.
“I found it puzzling; these guys who usually act as if they could trample on the stars in the sky suddenly turned into this pathetic sight? Later I learned that they were all afraid of offending me. Each one pondered for ages before someone suggested this ridiculous idea: since they dared not walk upright nor bow down in greeting, they would all kneel on the ground and inch their way in step by step. This way, they wouldn’t lose their manners nor lower themselves too much. Tell me, is there anything more absurd than this? Hahaha…”
As he reached the end of his tale, King Xiang’s laughter abruptly ceased. He gazed at the sky outside the tent, his eyes filled with loneliness and indignation. Yes, he had won the world but lost the hearts of its people; now there was no place for Xiong Yu in this vast land!
Seeing Xiong Yu dry from speaking so much, The Wanderer pretended to cover her mouth with a handkerchief and sweetly said, “Your Majesty has worked hard; drink some mung bean soup first to cool off before continuing.” Xiong Yu nodded and finally fell silent. Just then, three loud drumbeats echoed from the watchtower above. The Wanderer remarked, “It is already past midnight.”
“That Duke of Pei! Hmph! Just thinking about him makes me angry!” Xiong Yu slammed down his bowl of mung bean soup with such force that several small dishes jumped slightly. The Wanderer giggled softly at this sight and handed him a silk handkerchief while gently saying, “Your Majesty should not get angry; it’s not worth harming your health. Here, wipe your mouth.”
Xiong Yu took the silk handkerchief but did not wipe his face with it; instead, he clenched it in his hand as if he intended to crush the silk. "In my anger at that time, I didn't care about him anymore and rode straight into Guanzhong on my Black Steed. You probably won't believe it, but the journey was truly smooth and unobstructed, even more convenient than taking a straight path!" He spoke with a hint of pride on his face.
"Of course, how could anyone dare to obstruct such a hero as the King?" The Wanderer chimed in sweetly.
Xiong Yu laughed heartily, as if he had returned to those spirited days. "Alright, let's not mention the Duke of Pei; it’s a buzzkill! Let me tell you, when I entered Guanzhong and hadn’t gone far, I saw dust rising in the distance, a grand sight as if thousands of troops were marching towards us." He paused deliberately, watching The Wanderer's reaction.
Sure enough, curiosity flickered across The Wanderer's face as she asked, "Could it be that the King encountered a formidable opponent?"
"A formidable opponent? Hmph, who would dare!" Xiong Yu scoffed disdainfully before continuing, "As I focused my gaze, I realized it was a group of people. At the forefront was a man wearing the Sun Moon Stars Pearl Jade Crown and dressed in a Multicolored Cloud Pattern Dragon Robe—what an imposing figure! His dragon carriage was extravagantly luxurious, adorned with Coiling Dragon and Phoenix designs; who knows how much common people's wealth was spent on it! Following behind were at least several thousand people, each bedecked in gold and silver, wearing yellow and purple sashes—like a flock of colorful peacocks arranged in a long snake formation, marching grandly towards me."
He deliberately painted the picture of their opulence and display with tones filled with mockery and disdain.
"I thought to myself, with such grandeur and style, who else could it be but Qin Ershi? I wanted to see what this fallen monarch truly looked like!"
As he spoke, a glint of coldness flashed in his eyes, as if he had returned to the bloody battlefield.
"The situation at that time was like this: the man hurriedly removed his Sun Moon Stars Pearl Jade Crown and put on a simple hat made of coarse cloth; he took off his Multicolored Cloud Pattern Dragon Robe and changed into plain clothes of blue and white; he stepped down from his lavish carriage with his hands clasped behind his back. Those who had originally worn gold and silver ornaments also changed into grass ropes and wooden belts, their faces painted red as they prostrated on the ground, wishing they could burrow deep into the earth! They were all dressed uniformly. My Black Steed galloped swiftly and leaped right in front of them. I heard someone by the roadside shout: 'Long Live Your Majesty!' I glanced sideways. The man continued: 'Long Live Your Majesty! I am Qin Prince Ying here to surrender to Your Majesty.' In my youth, I was hot-tempered; in that moment of anger, I struck down without distinguishing between lord and subject or young and old—thousands became headless ghosts. Those were truly fun times! I even shouted: 'Qin Shi Huang, oh Qin Shi Huang, do you know this day would come?'"
The Wanderer was solely focused on finding Ying Zheng. As Xiong Yu rambled on for half the day without mentioning him, she grew somewhat impatient. However, she didn’t want to say so outright; instead, she relaxed her body intentionally, yawned delicately, and said sweetly, "My King, please don’t go on any longer; I’m tired and wish to rest."
Hearing her playful reproach made Xiong Yu's heart melt; he dared not say anything further and immediately fell silent, gazing longingly at her. Seeing him quiet down, The Wanderer turned over to lie down and pretended to doze off.
Suddenly, they heard the bell tower strike five times. The Wanderer feigned awakening, rubbing her sleepy eyes as she said, "Oh dear King, your story has gone on for so long that we’ve already passed the fourth watch." With that, she lazily lay back down on the bed while Xiong Yu turned to face her and shared the pillow for sleep.
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