After the Spring and Autumn Period
After the Spring and Autumn era, there was no Warring States period. There was no partition of Jin by the three families, nor the conquest of the six kingdoms by Qin. All because I arrived!
Billowing clouds of dust swept across the land as countless war chariots thundered forward.
“Run!” someone shouted nearby, casting aside his spear and turning to flee in panic.
“What is this?” Meng Di squinted, struggling to adjust to the dazzling midday sunlight. “A battlefield?”
Before he could make sense of it, the tide of people swept him backward.
The four-horse chariots closed in swiftly, armored stallions crashing into the crowd like giant beasts. Screams and cries filled the air.
The warriors atop the chariots gazed down coldly, showing no intention of striking. In moments, they pierced through the masses, leaving chaos in their wake.
The scene was unbearable; fewer than two out of every ten remained standing, with many writhing and moaning on the ground. Meng Di was struck by a tremendous force and hurled aside, barely managing to roll away and avoid being trampled.
As he caught his breath, someone shouted, “Behind us! They’re coming again!”
Looking back, he saw infantry advancing with long halberds.
The flight resumed, and this time Meng Di carried someone on his back. Earlier, while dodging the horses, he’d noticed a man nearby, trembling and vacant-eyed, lying motionless. Meng Di had pulled him along without thinking. Despite the extra weight, his pace was unaffected.
They ran until dusk. A wide river barred their path, and exhaustion overcame them all; people collapsed in droves. Only a handful—barely a few dozen—reached the riverbank; the rest had been overtaken or scattered.
Meng Di stood by the river,