The Unlikely Meeting in Chen City

For three or four days, Fan Ju—a former Qin chancellor—found himself curiously following the merchant Lü Buwei through the bustling streets of Chen City. Whenever Lü conducted business, Fan observed silently, later bombarding him with probing questions. Lü answered each query with remarkable clarity, leaving Fan astonished by the vast, intricate world of commerce—a realm he had never truly appreciated.

One afternoon, Fan noticed two unusually tall warehouses near the grain market. “What secrets do those hold?” he asked. Without hesitation, Lü led him to the lakeside structure. Without a word of command, a sturdy attendant emerged from a grove of white poplars, and the massive iron-clad doors rumbled open. Inside, sunlight streamed through the roof, illuminating towering structures divided into three sections.

“Four-wheeled siege ladders!” Fan exclaimed in recognition.

Lü grinned. “You know Qin’s military well. How would these fare in the Blue Fields Camp?”

Fan, once a high-ranking Qin official, examined one closely. “Exquisite craftsmanship. What’s the price?”

“Forty gold pieces,” Lü replied. “But I sell differently—thirty to Chu, twenty to Zhao. For Qin? A hundred.”

Fan’s eyes narrowed. “Are you a Mohist, preaching universal love and non-aggression? Or an anti-Qin rebel?”

Lü laughed. “Merchants aren’t Mohists. Zhao faces annihilation, Chu decline—they need help. Qin bullies the weak. Why aid them?”

Fan smirked. “Qin never buys arms from merchants.”

Lü was stunned. “You’ve no dealings in Qin?”

“None.”

“Pity,” Fan sighed. “The greatest market, ignored by a merchant prince!”

Lü roared with laughter. “Very well! When big business calls, I’ll chase profit in Xianyang.”

Shadows of Conspiracy

At dusk, as Fan strolled by the poplars, Lü hurried toward him. “Trouble in trade?” Fan asked.

Lü’s smile faded. “A Chu merchant seeks you in Chen City.”

“Me? I’ve no dealings with merchants.”

“False merchant, true spy,” Lü said. “What unfinished business lingers?”

Fan frowned. “Only family matters.”

Lü shook his head. “Your affairs are settled. Could the old Qin king doubt you?”

After a tense silence, Fan replied, “The king prizes results. With Cai Ze managing affairs, I’m no threat. Still, we shouldn’t ignore this spy.”

Lü agreed. “Better to strike first.”

That night, a man in Chu merchant garb was brought to Lü’s study. Under interrogation, he claimed to be a Wei jeweler tracking a debtor. But when Lü pressed for details, the man grew evasive, finally snatching back a jade pendant and lunging for the door. Guards restrained him just as Fan emerged from behind a screen.

“Xiqi Mu,” Fan said coolly. “Why this charade?”

The man bowed deeply. “Lord Ying Hou, I bring urgent news—from Crown Prince Ying Zhu.”

The Prince’s Gambit

By dawn, Fan revealed the truth to Lü: the Qin crown prince sought his counsel. “I recommended Shi Cang to handle affairs, but he withdrew. Now the prince turns to me.”

Lü chuckled. “This prince isn’t entirely foolish.”

“Foolish or not, I must resolve this,” Fan said. “Help me find someone—Ying Yiren.”

Lü blinked. “The Qin hostage in Handan? Why?”

Fan’s voice dropped. “The situation has changed. I can’t enter Zhao—too many enemies. But you, a merchant, can move freely.”

Lü hesitated, then grinned. “Consider it done.”

Fan bowed deeply. “Any expenses, the crown prince will repay double.”

Lü’s smile vanished. “If this is state business, I refuse. But for you, old friend, I’ll act freely.”

Fan clasped his hands. “My thanks.”

The River Encounter

Days later, Lü’s white-sailed boat glided down the Yellow River. As morning mist curled over the water, a majestic cargo ship loomed alongside. On its deck, a green-robed maiden played a haunting melody, her voice rising in the ancient song of “Jian Jia”:

Reeds sway, frost gleams,
My love waits beyond the stream…

Lü, stirred, responded with a traveler’s verse. Their voices intertwined, the maiden’s zither echoing his words. As the ships parted, she waved—a fleeting connection.

The Trap at Honggou

By midday, the cargo ship docked at Honggou. As workers prepared to unload, Wei officials stormed the pier. “Halt! You smuggle Wei iron!”

The white-bearded merchant, Zhuo Yuan, scoffed. “One ingot? A gift for Lord Xinling!”

His granddaughter, the green-robed girl, drew a dagger when guards seized her grandfather. Just then, Lü arrived. With gold and a well-placed bribe, he secured Zhuo’s release.

As Lü turned to leave, the girl blocked his path. “You’ll not even leave your name?”

Zhuo Yuan laughed. “He is Lü Buwei of Puyang! Visit us in Handan.”

Lü bowed. “When my business concludes.”

The girl pressed a bamboo map into his hand. “Don’t get lost.”

As Lü rode away, she muttered, “Stubborn men!” Her grandfather chuckled. “He asked no names because he already knew ours.”

Thus began a journey weaving commerce, politics, and destiny—where a merchant’s cunning would alter the fate of empires.