Zhao Ren wrote:Mei Ji replied, with a brief smile, "We all have become victims of the Hegemon-King's wrath. He has saw to the deaths of hundreds of thousands, no man is untouched, especially those of Qi, where he massacred the men of Chengyang." Mei Ji considered a moment and offered, "By no means did I think to infer that you were helpless here, merely that you have suffered at his hands, much as I have."
Moving onwards, Mei Ji glanced over to his horse and explained, "She once belonged to a Xiongnu chieftain. I should hope that she is first among equals, having few or no peers." He looked back to Fang Ai. "This is why I have come, to see if there is anything that you might be able to do for her. I believe seven hundred taels shall suffice for you to see after her, will it not?" Mei Ji offered a small but sincere smile to Fang Ai.
"As to who I am, I once was a Captain in the armies of Qin, defending the north against the Xiongnu barbarians. I was tasked with the defense of the Great Wall after General Meng's execution by the Second Emperor, and remained there by order of the Chancellor." Mei Ji sighed, shaking his head. "I was unable to return to aid in the defense of the capital, not that my company of men would have helped."
Mei Ji remained silent a long time, his gaze faraway, clearly lost in the thoughts of that most tragic past. He shook his head once again and looked back to Fang Ai, asking, "What of you, General Fang? I have only heard brief rumors about yourself. It would seem that you are doing quite nicely under the command of the Prefect of Jiaodong." With a faint smile, Mei Ji awaited Fang Ai's response.
He moved to the horse and ran his hand along it's back firmly, but with the hand of one accustomed to dealing with such beasts. He listened, but in the meanwhile seemed to be just as interested in the horse. "The amount you say should suffice," he replied, "although I find myself fairly busy in these next few months. You could leave her here, and I would tend to her, but I would not be able to give her the serious effort she needs right away. She can definitely be saved; her ability is still intact... I can tell that much. October would be the earliest that I could have her back up and ready for you. If you can manage without her until then, that should be fine. If not, simply returning here in September would work, too."
He turned to him and let out a small "hmph". "A man of Qin, you say," he replied. "I served in the armies of Qi, although too young to fight many of your kind. My family raised me to be a man who would rise up and throw your burden off of us. I do not think anybody realized how soon that would come, or that our liberation would come at the hands of Chu.
"Yes, liberation." He laughed bitterly. "My family died at Chengyang. That was not even our home; they were visiting another noble family, as the custom tends to be. I was in the west; too far away to fight, no ability to save them. I have seen the destruction that the hands of the Hegemon King can bring. Xiang Yu and Liu Bang together decimated Qi for trying to stand on their own against Qin; because we were not so ready to bow to yet another suzerain. Chu believes they rule the land, but they cannot continue to have their way. Recently, they raided much of the province of Qi itself; this because the lord over Qi, this Marquis Zhefu, did not bow the head well enough. All the Hegemon King understands is violence. The people of Qi have had well enough."
He shook his head. "They preoccupy themselves with us because we are a state of nobility, of ethics. Chu is a state of violence. I do not know if the situation can be avoided for much longer. It is well possible that, despite any intention we might have otherwise, Qi becomes the leader in this revolution against Chu. The Hegemon King rules by fear, and fear can go a long way to controlling people, but fear can be overcome. If he continues to treat our people this way, our hatred may overcome that fear. If there is a revolution coming, it might well start here."
