Chapter 44: The Quiet Pre-Dawn Silence of Qi's Revival

Just as the state of Jin, which had held hegemony for many years, had lost the hearts of the people, and the powerful southern state of Chu was nearly brought to ruin, the state of Qi, after a long period of silence, quietly revived. The ascension of an enlightened ruler allowed the people of Qi to see the dawn of hegemony once again; however, the ascension of this enlightened ruler was an accident brought about by internal turmoil.

Lord Tang of Qi and Dongguo Yan were relatives; Lord Tang's wife was the elder sister of Dongguo Yan, and Dongguo Yan was a retainer of Cui Zhu. Cui Zhu was a high-ranking minister in Qi, distinguished in governance and renowned for his military exploits in foreign campaigns, earning the deep trust of Duke Ling of Qi. Cui Zhu frequently accompanied Crown Prince Guang on visits to other vassal states. After the death of Duke Ling, Crown Prince Guang ascended the throne, historically known as Duke Zhuang of Qi.

Duke Zhuang showered Cui Zhu with exceptional favor, just as his father had done, and the relationship between the ruler and his minister was extraordinary.

Now, when Lord Tang passed away, Dongguo Yan and Cui Zhu went to offer condolences. Upon seeing Lord Tang's beautiful wife, Cui Zhu was deeply moved. He dropped hints to Dongguo Yan, expressing his desire to take his elder sister in marriage. Dongguo Yan, being a clever man well-versed in the Book of Changes and divination, said to Cui Zhu: "A marriage between a man and a woman requires not only matched social status but also compatible surnames; only when names and surnames match can they wed. I am a descendant of Duke Huan, and you are a descendant of Duke Ding; we cannot become kin. If you do not believe me, you may cast lots to divine good or ill fortune."

After returning home, Cui Zhu performed divination, obtaining the Hexagram of Kun changing into Da Guo. Many grand scribes regarded this as an auspicious omen, but only Song Wenzi wore a worried expression and said to Cui Zhu: "A husband is like the wind, and the wind blows the wife away—such a union cannot be contracted. The line text of this hexagram says: 'Confined by rocks, bogged down in thorn bushes, entering the house one sees not his wife.' This is a manifestation of an ominous portent. Being confined by rocks signifies that if you go forth, you will surely fail. Being bogged down in thorn bushes implies that what you rely on will bring harm to your hands. Entering the house and seeing not the wife is an ominous sign, meaning you will be left without a home."

By this time, Cui Zhu was already infatuated with Lady Tang and completely disregarded Song Wenzi's warning, refuting him by saying: "Lady Tang is a widow, and her deceased husband has already fulfilled her ominous portent; what harm is there in my marrying her?" Thus, shortly thereafter, Cui Zhu arranged a banquet and took Lady Tang, formerly Lady Tang's wife, as his bride.

Yet, Song Wenzi's words proved precisely correct. Because Cui Zhu was a vital minister to Duke Zhuang of Qi, the Duke frequently visited the Cui residence to meet with him. Upon seeing Cui Zhu's beautiful wife, Duke Zhuang was instantly captivated. As visits continued back and forth, he engaged in an illicit affair with Lady Tang.

Every time Duke Zhuang went to the Cui residence to engage in clandestine affairs with Lady Tang, he would gift one of Cui Zhu's hats to someone else. His personal attendants thought this conduct was inappropriate and advised him not to humiliate Cui Zhu in such a manner. However, Duke Zhuang took pride in this and continued to act as he pleased. When Cui Zhu learned of this, though he dared not speak out loud, he harbored a deep, bone-chilling hatred for the Duke in his heart and sought an opportunity to kill him.

At that time, internal turmoil broke out within the state of Jin. Duke Zhuang of Qi wished to take advantage of the chaos to destroy Jin, so he dispatched troops to march on the capital of Jin. Cui Zhu thought to himself that he could kill Duke Zhuang to ingratiate himself with Jin, but a good opportunity had yet to present itself. Finally, one day, Cui Zhu found an attendant named Jia Ju, who had just been subjected to corporal punishment by whipping at the hands of Duke Zhuang and thus harbored a deep grudge against him. Jia Ju colluded with Cui Zhu, plotting the assassination of Duke Zhuang.

Before long, May arrived. On this day, Duke Zhuang hosted a banquet in the northern city for the visiting Marquis of Ju; Cui Zhu claimed illness and did not attend. The next day, Duke Zhuang went to the Cui residence to visit the ailing Cui Zhu—a visit made under the guise of an inquiry, but in reality, an opportunity to engage in illicit relations with Lady Tang. Lady Tang entered the inner chambers, while Cui Zhu walked out with a gloomy expression. Duke Zhuang happily patted the pillars and sang.

At this moment, Jia Ju ordered Duke Zhuang's retainers to withdraw outside the gates, while he himself entered the room with several armored guards and closed the main doors. Upon entering, Jia Ju and the guards immediately drew their sharp weapons upon seeing the merrymaking Duke Zhuang. Realizing the situation was perilous, Duke Zhuang rapidly leaped onto a high platform and begged Jia Ju to spare his life, but the men refused. Duke Zhuang then pleaded to be allowed to commit suicide by slitting his throat in the ancestral temple, but they still refused, saying: "Lord Cui Zhu is gravely ill at present, and we cannot comply with your requests. We are under orders to patrol the night and search out those engaged in licentious acts; other commands are entirely unknown to us." Seeing no hope of survival and denied even the choice of how to die, Duke Zhuang leaped over a wall in an attempt to escape. At that moment, someone shot an arrow that struck his thigh; Duke Zhuang fell back inside the courtyard, and the crowd swarmed forward and killed him.

Cui Zhu did not bury Duke Zhuang's corpse in the northern part of the city; instead, he interred him at Shisun Village, with four long-handled fans as burial goods, devoid of weapons or armor, and accompanied to the grave by merely seven dilapidated carriages.

Following the death of Duke Zhuang, Cui Zhu initiated a purge; Jia Ju, Zhou Chuo, Bing Shi, Gongsun Ao, Feng Ju, Duo Fu, Xiang Yi, and Lou Yin were all put to death. Zhu Tuofu, who hurried back to report for duty, was slain inside Cui Zhu's household before he had even removed his official cap. Shen Kuai, serving as an official in charge of fisheries, said to his chief domestic retainer: "Hurry and take my wife and children to flee; I am prepared to die." The head retainer replied: "I cannot abandon you and leave; to do so would be utterly lacking in righteousness." Thereupon, Shen Kuai and his chief retainer both committed suicide.

In their historical records of this event, the Grand Scribes explicitly documented that it was Cui Zhu who murdered Duke Zhuang of Qi. Consequently, Cui Zhu put the Grand Scribe to death. Later, the Grand Scribe's younger brother followed in his sibling's footsteps, and both brothers died beneath Cui Zhu's feet. Still later, yet another younger brother of the Grand Scribe recorded the process of Cui Zhu murdering Duke Zhuang; this time, Cui Zhu relented and pursued the matter no further. The Historian of the South, having previously heard that the brothers of the Grand Scribe had all been put to death by Cui Zhu, indignantly took his prepared bamboo slips and set off to demand justice; but upon hearing that the final record adhered to the true facts, the Historian of the South returned home in gladness.

Lüqiu Ying wanted to flee. He wrapped his wife in carriage curtains, placed her inside the vehicle, and fled in panic alongside Shen Xianyu. Along the way, Shen Xianyu threw Lüqiu Ying's wife out of the carriage, declaring: "Our ruler was benighted and foolish, yet we could not correct his errors; our ruler was in mortal danger, yet we could not save him; our ruler was murdered, yet we could not lay down our lives for the state. Now we flee in distress, yet we know only to wrap our wives in carriage curtains. No matter where we finally escape to, who would be willing to take us in?"

The carriage carrying the two men reached the narrow pass of Yanzhong, where they prepared to rest for the night. Lüqiu Ying said: "Cui Zhu and Qing Feng might come in pursuit and kill us!" Shen Xianyu replied without a trace of fear: "If those two come, our numbers are matched—what is there to fear?" Thus the two men stayed. After eating their meal and feeding their horses, the two men slept with their heads resting on the reins, resuming their journey upon waking. Upon reaching Yanzhong, Shen Xianyu said: "We must quicken our pace; if Cui Zhu and Qing Feng send men after us, we shall be no match for them." The two men drove their carriage onward and arrived in the state of Lu.

Yanzi stood outside the gate of Cui Zhu's residence, and an attendant asked: "Are you prepared to die to repay the state's grace?" Yanzi replied: "The ruler is not my exclusive ruler alone—why should I die?" The attendant asked: "Are you prepared to flee?" Yanzi said: "I have committed no crime—why should I flee?" The attendant asked further: "Are you returning home?" Yanzi said: "When the ruler is gone, where shall we return to? Since a ruler is called a ruler, is it merely to issue commands to the people? Conforming to the people's will and managing the governance of the state are the primary tasks. As a subject, is one merely meant to collect a salary? Assisting the ruler to make the country prosperous and strong is what a subject ought to do. If the ruler died for the sake of the state, and flight is undertaken for the state's sake, then our death and flight would both be worthwhile. If the ruler died because of his own misdeeds, then apart from those whom he deeply favored, who would dare bear this responsibility? If someone else killed him because they welcomed a new ruler, why should I die for him or flee for him? And where could I return to?"

The gates of Cui Zhu's residence opened, and after entering, Yanzi wailed loudly, resting his head against the corpse's legs. Cui Zhu's subordinates advised him to kill Yanzi at that moment, but Cui Zhu said: "He is a man revered by the common people. If I kill him, shall I not lose the hearts of the people?"

Following the death of Duke Zhuang, Cui Zhu supported Duke Jing in ascending the throne, while he himself assumed the office of Prime Minister, with Qing Feng serving as Left Prime Minister. They made a covenant with the people of the state at the ancestral temple of Duke Tai, thereby consolidating the power and influence of the Cui and Qing factions at court. At this juncture, Yanzi could only sigh up to the heavens: "If Ying does not attach himself to those who are loyal to their ruler and beneficial to the state, may Heaven bear witness!"

Duke Jing of Qi was originally the youngest son of Duke Ling of Qi and possessed no legitimate claim to inherit the throne of the state; yet, owing to this internal turmoil, he succeeded in becoming ruler—a case of misfortune turning into a blessing, like a windfall dropping from the skies above. Nevertheless, at this moment, the state of Qi remained tightly gripped in the hands of powerful ministers. If he wished to truly wield supreme authority, Duke Jing still had a very long road ahead of him.

After Duke Jing ascended the throne, because of his tender age, the supreme power of the imperial court slipped into the hands of Cui Zhu. Cui Zhu acted arbitrarily and autocratically, persecuting those who dissented. Qing Feng wished to overthrow this greatest political rival at court, and thus he racked his brains to find a way to kill Cui Zhu and usurp his position.

At this time, internal chaos broke out within Cui Zhu's household, and Qing Feng judged this to be the optimal moment to eliminate Cui Zhu. He secretly colluded with members of the Cui clan, providing Cui Zhu's legitimate sons, Cui Cheng and Cui Qiang, with weapons to slay Tang Wujiu and Dongguo Yan, retainers of the Cui household. Upon hearing this news, Cui Zhu felt both enraged and deeply grieved. He reported this household tragedy to Qing Feng, who feigned utter ignorance and told Cui Zhu: "These two rebellious sons actually dared to commit offenses against their superiors; I am willing to help you discipline them!" Cui Zhu naively believed Qing Feng and said: "If you can help me eliminate these two rebellious sons, I am willing to have my son Cui Ming acknowledge you as his foster father."

Having obtained Cui Zhu's consent, Qing Feng immediately summoned his household's armored guards, instructing his retainer Lupiu Mie to lead a troop of men to slaughter the entire family of Cui Zhu's wife and concubines, seizing all carriages, horses, and weapons as their own, while setting fire to Cui Zhu's estate. The following day, Qing Feng carried the severed heads of Cui Cheng and Cui Qiang to report back to Cui Zhu. Seeing the heads of his two sons, Cui Zhu burst into bitter sobs. At this point, he deeply regretted letting Qing Feng take such action, but because of his prior promise, he suppressed his grief and expressed his gratitude to Qing Feng.

On his journey home, consumed by excessive sorrow, Cui Zhu finally realized with sudden clarity that this was all Qing Feng's scheme; but it was already too late, and he hanged himself inside his carriage.

Following the death of Cui Zhu, Qing Feng seized supreme power over the state; however, he took little interest in state affairs, spending his days drinking, making merry, hunting on horseback, and leaving all state matters entirely in the hands of Qing She. Later, Qing Feng took his wife and concubines to Lupiu Mie's residence to enjoy themselves for many days; whenever major matters arose in the court that Qing She could not decide alone, officials would go to Lupiu Mie's residence to seek an audience.

At this time, Qing Feng issued a decree stating that anyone living in exile who possessed knowledge of the whereabouts of Cui Zhu's remaining faction could return to the state to report it, and their previous crimes would be pardoned. Lupiu Gui consequently returned to the state of Qi and became a retainer in the household of Qing She. Lupiu Gui proved exceptionally capable and won the deep esteem of Qing She, who later gave his own daughter in marriage to Lupiu Gui.

At this juncture, other retainers in Qing She's household asked Lupiu Gui: "Marriage customs usually dictate avoiding members of the same clan and forbidding unions between those sharing the same surname; why do you pay no heed to these taboos?" Lupiu Gui replied: "Since even members of the same clan do not shun me, what have I to shun? This is much like composing poetry—sometimes we take verses out of context. Right now, I merely need to perform my duties well; I have no spare energy to care about whether we share the same clan or not." Later, Lupiu Gui recommended Wang He to Qing She, claiming that it was Wang He who had enabled his return to the state. Both men subsequently won Qing She's heavy trust and became his personal bodyguards.

When the senior ministers dined while on duty at court, they were supposed to be served two chickens daily; however, these were frequently swapped out for two ducks in the kitchen by unknown hands, with all the meat removed and only broth sent to the ministers. Upon discovering the truth, the senior ministers Ziya and Ziwei were filled with wrath.

Qing Feng informed Lupiu Mie of this matter, and Lupiu Mie said: "Comparing them to beasts, today I shall sleep upon their skins and furs." Thereupon, Lupiu Mie relayed this matter to Xi Guifu, instructing him to tell Yan Pingzhong: "We are not yet able to be employed by others, and even if we claim superior wisdom, we have no fine plans; yet we swear not to breathe a single word of these secrets." Xi Guifu replied: "Since matters have reached this pass, I place absolute trust in your character."

Subsequently, Lupiu Mie also informed Beiguo Ziche, and Ziche said: "Everyone serves their ruler in different ways; this is what I am capable of doing."

All these circumstances caused Chen Wenzi deep anxiety. He said to Chen Wuyu: "Calamity for the state is likely about to befall us; what shall we gain from this?" Chen Wuyu replied: "A hundred carts of wood belonging to Qing Feng's family on the great thoroughfare." Chen Wenzi said: "We can merely guard ourselves cautiously and safely."

In truth, Lupiu Gui and Wang He were not of one mind with Qing She. Lupiu Gui's sole intent was to avenge Duke Zhuang of Qi, and his recommendation of Wang He to Qing She was merely to secure an ally so that he might await an opportunity to eliminate the Qing clan's influence at court.

On this day, Lupiu Gui and Wang He performed divination regarding the elimination of Qing She, presenting the hexagrams to Qing She and claiming they were divination results cast by someone seeking revenge. One day, Qing Feng went hunting in the vegetable gardens, accompanied solely by Chen Wuyu. At that moment, Chen Wenzi summoned Chen Wuyu to return, and Chen Wuyu asked Qing Feng for leave, saying: "My mother is ill; I wish to return to visit her." Qing Feng cast a divination for Chen Wuyu's mother on the spot, and the result indicated death; filled with sorrow, Qing Feng granted him leave. When Qing Si heard that Chen Wuyu was no longer by Qing Feng's side, he sensed that grave disaster was afoot and hastily notified Qing Feng, urging him to return, warning that during the autumn sacrifices a great calamity would surely befall him, whereas returning immediately might allow him to evade the disaster.

Yet Qing Feng paid no heed whatsoever to Qing Si's words. Helpless, Qing Si declared: "I must flee; if I can escape to Wu or Chu, it will mean my fate is a fortunate one." After crossing the river, Chen Wuyu destroyed all the bridges and boats behind him.

Lupiu Jiang said to Lupiu Gui: "If you wish for this undertaking to succeed, you must tell me everything in complete detail." Lupiu Gui then revealed the entire plan to Lupiu Jiang. Lupiu Jiang said: "My father is a stubborn and obstinate man; no one else will be able to move him. Let me go and try."

The autumn sacrifices were held at the ancestral temple of Duke Tai, with Qing Feng personally presiding. Lupiu Jiang warned him that someone intended to launch a rebellion under the cover of the autumn sacrifices and urged him not to attend. Qing Feng dismissed the warning entirely, refusing to believe anyone would dare revolt at such a time, and ultimately proceeded in person to the Grand Ancestral Temple.

As the sacrificial rites were underway, Lupiu Gui and Wang He suddenly brandished resting halberds, while the Qing clan's armored guards completely surrounded the ducal palace. The Chen and Bao clans watched the grooms put on a performance of tending horses; fearing the Qing clan's horses might be startled, they had previously fed the horses some alcohol. At this juncture, the soldiers of the Luan, Gao, Chen, and Bao clans donned the leather armor of the Qing clan, drew mallets from their sleeves, and struck the doors three times. Lupiu Gui thrust his weapon into Qing She's back, while Wang He violently struck Qing She's left shoulder with a halberd. Empty-handed, Qing She could only hold a wine vessel in one hand to hurl at his attackers while grasping the temple rafters with the other; yet in the end, Qing She was slain. Witnessing this scene, Duke Jing of Qi was terrified, but Bao Guo said: "The high ministers are acting thus for your sake." Chen Shunwu escorted Duke Jing back to the palace, stripped off his sacrificial robes, and entered the inner chambers; from that day onward, Duke Jing began to personally manage the governance of the state.

When Qing Feng heard that his son had been killed, he flew into a rage and dispatched troops to attack the royal capital; but the capital's walls were impregnable, and his soldiers scattered in defeat on all sides. Having no place left in the state of Qi that could harbor him, Qing Feng fled to the state of Wu. The ruler of Wu granted Qing Feng the territory of Zhufang as a fief, bestowing upon him a generous stipend so that he might continue to live in great wealth.

When Zifu Huibo, a senior official of Lu, learned of Qing Feng's current situation, he asked Shusun Bao: "Does Heaven intend to confer blessings upon this dissolute wretch?" Shusun Bao replied: "Wealth and abundance are a blessing to the virtuous, but a disaster to the dissolute. In my view, Qing Feng's fortunate days have drawn to a close, and his entire clan is destined for complete extermination." Several years later, the state of Chu led various vassal states in an offensive against Wu, and Qing Feng along with his entire clan were put to death by the men of Chu.