birthday fic for rasetsunyo
coming in just before the chimes of midnight, many happy returns of the day, rasetsunyo!
Wen Zhong, as promised (prompt: "We deceive ourselves"):
a man is happy so long as he chooses to be happy
"The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for." - Joseph Addison
Wen Zhong is a happy man. Despite, or perhaps because of, being inured to the vagaries of politics that leave him embarrassed at best and facing wrathful threats of execution at worst (and practically everything else in between) after years of serving mortified officials and annoyed rulers, he has always taken pride, or more accurately, derived a simple joy from doing his duty, even when too often his perception of duty is not quite compatible with others’ views.
He has, however, never met a politician or ruler quite like this man. Wen Zhong does not kneel to someone (no matter that he is a king) who has just prevented him from doing his duty as a loyal subject of Chu to king and country - even if returning to said country would have certainly meant his execution by that king. And Wen Zhong never shirks his duty, no matter what the consequences.
Of course he prostrates himself immediately when the King of Yue casually asks him what he should do if it is the royal wish that he serve in Yue, and thanks the royal saviour for his kindness. But, the King adds with a speculative sideways glance that quite overwhelms his grateful new subject, if you stay in Yue you must-
Serve Yue with all my heart and never seek another master!
Wen Zhong, remember this: although you are glib of tongue and quick of understanding, do not second-guess me again.
But, his King continues in a less severe tone with the hint of a smile, are you not afraid to be branded a cowardly disloyal person in Chu?
If I return, I shall have paid for my disloyalty with my life, but I would then be unable to serve my country loyally; since Chu and Yue are brother states, I would be serving Chu as well if I stayed here.
How shall I punish you if you are disloyal, then?
He raises his right hand impassionedly. May Heaven cease to defend me if I am disloyal to Yue!
I didn’t hear that, the King says languidly while staring him full in the face, and he is lost for words.
He has much to say for and to Fan Li, who comes to occupy the highest place among the ministers and never lets him forget it; he isn’t lost for words when they send him to Wu to broker an illusory peace; and even when everyone else is silent he continues to harp about the folly of fighting a battle which Yue is sure to lose, until his king loses patience with his harangues and there is a possibility of the mock trappings of mourning that he has displayed in a last-ditch attempt at persuasion being put to real use.
Of course, since he is eventually proven right, he has to exercise his tongue in Wu again, and again, this lands him in an awkward position - in a cangue outside the audience hall in Yue, this time occupied by a different king. Wen Zhong stretches out his hands to his own king emerging from the great hall, calling to him like the others weeping at the doors; Gou Jian looks up, appearing to hear, and names the voice that plaintively begs him to take care of himself, then turns to take the hand of his queen and speak to his people.
Bo Pi comes to remind him of his part of the bargain and release him to continue his work. In the night audiences, Fan Li sits beside Gou Jian with Wen Zhong at their feet, and they draw up the plans that will keep the country going while its king is in exile, and Wen Zhong is a happy man. Then Fan Li proposes that he himself accompany Gou Jian to Wu, leaving Wen Zhong behind. I do not understand your words, the King frowns, and asks an equally-bemused Wen Zhong what he says to this, and what he would do as steward. I agree with Master Fan’s plan, and I will guard the country and succour the people with all my heart, he says, but whatever the king might have replied is interrupted by Yan Ying’s news.
But the work remains to those who are left behind in Yue, and no one is busier than Wen Zhong in the coming years. Their plans proceed as agreed, and succeed as anticipated. When his King returns to Yue, Wen Zhong considers it the second happiest day of his life: the happiest day of his life, of course, would be to see the triumph of Yue over Wu, and no one knows more than Wen Zhong how much more there is to be done to achieve that end.
He sees his strategies put into effect one after another, exactly as he had expected: the resources of Wu drained by incessant warmongering while Yue quietly builds up her strength, the king of Wu distracted from thoughts of conquering Yue by his conquest of the maidens of that country in his bedchamber, and the greatest threat to Yue in the Wu court eventually executed by his own king. The only strategy that fails is the one that Wen Zhong plans without Gou Jian’s prior knowledge and hence must fail; he expects that his life is forfeit for transgressing against the Will of Heaven, but again his King spares him, and Wen Zhong is a sadder, though perhaps not a wiser man.
When the happiest day of his life arrives, he does not expect that his joy would be tempered somewhat by the news that Fan Li (who never missed an opportunity to remind him of his lesser understanding and alertness about the ways of politics and the world) has left. Still, Wen Zhong is a happy man, and looking at his king’s face, he knows that all he has worked and hoped for has been worth it.
Wen Zhong, as promised (prompt: "We deceive ourselves"):
a man is happy so long as he chooses to be happy
"The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for." - Joseph Addison
Wen Zhong is a happy man. Despite, or perhaps because of, being inured to the vagaries of politics that leave him embarrassed at best and facing wrathful threats of execution at worst (and practically everything else in between) after years of serving mortified officials and annoyed rulers, he has always taken pride, or more accurately, derived a simple joy from doing his duty, even when too often his perception of duty is not quite compatible with others’ views.
He has, however, never met a politician or ruler quite like this man. Wen Zhong does not kneel to someone (no matter that he is a king) who has just prevented him from doing his duty as a loyal subject of Chu to king and country - even if returning to said country would have certainly meant his execution by that king. And Wen Zhong never shirks his duty, no matter what the consequences.
Of course he prostrates himself immediately when the King of Yue casually asks him what he should do if it is the royal wish that he serve in Yue, and thanks the royal saviour for his kindness. But, the King adds with a speculative sideways glance that quite overwhelms his grateful new subject, if you stay in Yue you must-
Serve Yue with all my heart and never seek another master!
Wen Zhong, remember this: although you are glib of tongue and quick of understanding, do not second-guess me again.
But, his King continues in a less severe tone with the hint of a smile, are you not afraid to be branded a cowardly disloyal person in Chu?
If I return, I shall have paid for my disloyalty with my life, but I would then be unable to serve my country loyally; since Chu and Yue are brother states, I would be serving Chu as well if I stayed here.
How shall I punish you if you are disloyal, then?
He raises his right hand impassionedly. May Heaven cease to defend me if I am disloyal to Yue!
I didn’t hear that, the King says languidly while staring him full in the face, and he is lost for words.
He has much to say for and to Fan Li, who comes to occupy the highest place among the ministers and never lets him forget it; he isn’t lost for words when they send him to Wu to broker an illusory peace; and even when everyone else is silent he continues to harp about the folly of fighting a battle which Yue is sure to lose, until his king loses patience with his harangues and there is a possibility of the mock trappings of mourning that he has displayed in a last-ditch attempt at persuasion being put to real use.
Of course, since he is eventually proven right, he has to exercise his tongue in Wu again, and again, this lands him in an awkward position - in a cangue outside the audience hall in Yue, this time occupied by a different king. Wen Zhong stretches out his hands to his own king emerging from the great hall, calling to him like the others weeping at the doors; Gou Jian looks up, appearing to hear, and names the voice that plaintively begs him to take care of himself, then turns to take the hand of his queen and speak to his people.
Bo Pi comes to remind him of his part of the bargain and release him to continue his work. In the night audiences, Fan Li sits beside Gou Jian with Wen Zhong at their feet, and they draw up the plans that will keep the country going while its king is in exile, and Wen Zhong is a happy man. Then Fan Li proposes that he himself accompany Gou Jian to Wu, leaving Wen Zhong behind. I do not understand your words, the King frowns, and asks an equally-bemused Wen Zhong what he says to this, and what he would do as steward. I agree with Master Fan’s plan, and I will guard the country and succour the people with all my heart, he says, but whatever the king might have replied is interrupted by Yan Ying’s news.
But the work remains to those who are left behind in Yue, and no one is busier than Wen Zhong in the coming years. Their plans proceed as agreed, and succeed as anticipated. When his King returns to Yue, Wen Zhong considers it the second happiest day of his life: the happiest day of his life, of course, would be to see the triumph of Yue over Wu, and no one knows more than Wen Zhong how much more there is to be done to achieve that end.
He sees his strategies put into effect one after another, exactly as he had expected: the resources of Wu drained by incessant warmongering while Yue quietly builds up her strength, the king of Wu distracted from thoughts of conquering Yue by his conquest of the maidens of that country in his bedchamber, and the greatest threat to Yue in the Wu court eventually executed by his own king. The only strategy that fails is the one that Wen Zhong plans without Gou Jian’s prior knowledge and hence must fail; he expects that his life is forfeit for transgressing against the Will of Heaven, but again his King spares him, and Wen Zhong is a sadder, though perhaps not a wiser man.
When the happiest day of his life arrives, he does not expect that his joy would be tempered somewhat by the news that Fan Li (who never missed an opportunity to remind him of his lesser understanding and alertness about the ways of politics and the world) has left. Still, Wen Zhong is a happy man, and looking at his king’s face, he knows that all he has worked and hoped for has been worth it.