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After the heavily damaged Jin Bi returned to the Boundary, he did not dare to promptly relay the news of the defeat back to the capital. Intentionally or unintentionally delaying for several days, he finally ordered a sensible guard to take a memorial back to the capital. Before leaving, he repeatedly instructed that the guard must wait until Wei Wujie had left the palace before entering.
The soldier responsible for delivering the memorial did not understand why the general insisted on waiting for Xingling Jun, but naturally, there were questions that could not be asked. He expressed his understanding and promised to strictly comply, then hurried off to the capital of Great Liang. What this soldier did not expect was that Xingling Jun, who had clearly left long ago, had not returned to his fief and had not gone to Great Liang either. After inquiring several times without success, he had no choice but to arrange for personnel to wait at both Wei Wujie's fief in Xinyang and the capital of Great Liang.
Originally tasked with conveying urgent military matters, this mission was delayed day by day due to General Jin Bi's initial orders. The torturous passage of time became even more evident during this period. Finally, news arrived from Great Liang, prompting an urgent entry into the capital.
Following the general's earlier instructions, the soldier did not immediately enter the palace upon arriving in the city. He hid nearby to wait for Xingling Jun to come out but found himself facing yet another long wait...
King Wei, having smashed several teacups, felt slightly better and then left the rear palace to find Wei Wujie in a side hall. Upon entering and seeing Wu Ji kneeling on the ground in armor, his anger flared up again. He gestured for him to rise and coldly mocked, "Brother, how was your hunting trip? Did you catch anything?"
Wei Wujie had been waiting for this question! He quickly lifted a wild goose with both hands and explained that it was his catch for this outing. Knowing that the king enjoyed this delicacy, he selected the finest goose as an offering.
One would think that at this time of year, geese should be wintering in the south! Could it be out of season? King Wei raised his hand to stop the palace attendants who were coming forward to receive it, scrutinizing the goose up and down without feeling any of his usual appetite.
At this moment, Wei Wujie did not realize that what he held also had its own habits; he lowered his head and waited for quite some time without anyone coming forward to take it, feeling puzzled. This situation could not solely be blamed on him; after all, mistakes happen in busy situations. Moreover, all of his retainers were focused on purchasing game from hunters without considering the migratory habits of birds and beasts.
King Wei grunted heavily and asked, "This goose must have been shunned and driven out of its flock, which is why it returned early?"
Wei Wujie was straightforward and loyal, so he did not catch onto the underlying implications of this remark. However, it reminded him of animal migration patterns; before he could answer, sweat began to bead on his forehead. "My king! I discovered this while passing through a hunter's home during my hunt. This person has an ice cellar, so it was preserved well. Knowing that you..."
King Wei had no intention of listening to anyone's explanations and intentionally continued along that line of thought: "In that case, it makes sense!" Just then, he noticed a corner of bandaging peeking out from under Wei Wujie's headwrap and felt a wave of sadness rise within him. My brother! Can’t you just live your life peacefully as my brother so I wouldn’t have to worry about you so much!?
The reason King Wei was always wary of granting military power to Wei Wujie was rooted in various reasons. One such anecdote was about how Wei Wujie's straightforward nature led him into trouble himself.
One day, Wei Wujie was playing chess with King Wei. An alarm sounded from the northern border, reporting that King Zhao had dispatched troops to invade. King Wei immediately set down his pieces, intending to summon his ministers to discuss countermeasures.
Hearing the news, Wei Wujie appeared unconcerned and reassured King Wei not to panic. Confused, King Wei asked why, and Wei Wujie replied that it was merely King Zhao out hunting.
This mindset highlighted the gap between the two. The indecisive King Wei was restless and unable to focus on the game, while Wei Wujie remained remarkably calm, as if the movements of the Zhao Army were not encroaching upon Wei Kingdom's borders.
As it turned out, the truth confirmed Wei Wujie's expectations. News soon returned from the border that King Zhao had mistakenly entered Wei Kingdom while chasing game and had already negotiated with the defending troops to retreat.
As long as there was no war, everything was fine! With this confirmation, King Wei finally felt at ease and asked Wei Wujie how he could be so certain. If Wei Wujie had been inclined, he could have easily found a way to correct his earlier awkward phrasing during that lengthy exchange.
Unfortunately, this proud individual seemed more interested in showing off than in being discreet. Seeing the king's anxiety only made him feel more pleased with himself. He boldly revealed that there was someone among his retainers acting as an informant near King Zhao. If King Zhao planned to wage war, news would reach them before any action was taken in Zhao.
From that point on, King Wei thoroughly recognized Wei Wujie's capabilities. Concerned that there might be people arranged by Wei Wujie around him, he secretly conducted a personnel overhaul. Now, not only did he refrain from granting military power to Wei Wujie, but he also dared not let him handle political affairs.
How could the arrogant Wei Wujie realize that the problem lay within himself? He still believed that King Wei did not trust his ability to lead troops into battle! It was precisely because he had never had the opportunity to enter the ranks of Wei's elite that he began emulating Meng Shangjun and Plain King by recruiting retainers widely.
For King Wei, having a military known as the nation's sharp blade under his control was sufficient. As for the number of retainers, it didn't matter much to him. Thus, he paid little attention and allowed things to develop naturally. At its peak, the Wei Family boasted as many as three thousand retainers.
If Wei Wujie had understood the importance of humility, perhaps their relationship would not have deteriorated to such an extent. In an era when loyal vassals were highly valued and could directly influence dynastic changes, both King Wei and other feudal lords preferred their own people to command armies rather than entrusting them to outsiders.
However, these matters could not be openly discussed; there were inherent nuances involved. Even though King Wei knew that Wei Wujie would not instigate a coup or seize power, he still hesitated to entrust a significant portion of the military to him. As for trust, it seemed inappropriate to use that term in this context.
Since that experience playing chess, King Wei had become much more prudent than before. He understood that he was ultimately a Lord of the Nation and that what Wei Wujie said should have come from him as Sovereign.
Ability is not the ultimate manifestation of power; rather, power itself is the true embodiment of ability!
As a Sovereign, the first rule is to keep one's emotions in check. King Wei waved his hand to summon a palace servant to take away the wild goose, then signaled for everyone to leave. Once he heard the doors of the hall close softly, he spoke: "If it weren't for you, my Wei Kingdom would never have mobilized troops. We would be provoking the Qin People for no reason! Do you think they are easy to bully? Looking at the current world, which Feudal State dares to challenge the well-equipped Qin Army?"
Wei Wujie held the utmost disdain for those self-righteous Qin Barbarians. What right did a lord from a barbaric land have to demand the Nine Tripod Cauldrons? Hearing his king speak such words ignited a fire within him that surged straight to his head.
"My king! What is so terrifying about the Qin People? Give me thirty thousand elite troops, and by the end of the year, we will march into Xianyang!"
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