A Humble Strategist’s Triumphant Return

When Su Qin returned to Yan, the entire state erupted in celebration. The streets of Ji City emptied as throngs of citizens lined the roads from the countryside all the way to the palace gates, creating a spectacle more magnificent than any royal ceremony. Elders remarked they had never witnessed such crowds in their lifetimes – Lord Wuan had brought great fortune to Yan.

The Yan court welcomed Su Qin with extraordinary honors. King Yi of Yan personally escorted him thirty li beyond the city walls, where rows of ceremonial flags and bronze chariots stretched endlessly. In a gesture that sent the crowds into ecstatic cheers, the king helped Su Qin onto the royal carriage and took the reins himself, driving the strategist through streets echoing with cries of “Long live Lord Wuan!” For a state that had spent a century shrinking while others expanded, this moment represented Yan’s first taste of glory in living memory.

The Paradox of Fame and the Burden of Expectations

Yet amidst this adulation, Su Qin wore only a faint smile. The same man who had been ignored in his years of struggle now found himself drowning in unimaginable honors. While his triumphant return to Luoyang had brought genuine joy, this Yanese fervor left him uneasy. He recognized the irony – his blood and sweat had created the Six-Nation Alliance, yet he alone understood its limitations as a true solution.

The strategist foresaw the dangers of inflated expectations. When the alliance inevitably faced crises and the bubble of hope burst, how would these adoring masses react? More troubling was the sense that few among Yan’s leadership grasped the alliance’s true purpose. Su Qin felt the first stirrings of fear – once established, this colossal alliance might develop a momentum beyond his control.

Lavish Honors and Hidden Concerns

King Yi hosted a magnificent banquet with over three hundred officials and nobles in attendance. Amidst music, dance, and flowing wine, the king proclaimed Su Qin as Yan’s Prime Minister with authority to establish his own administration, granting him 200 li of land near the Yi River and ordering construction of a grand residence in Ji City. The crowd erupted in cheers of “Long live Lord Wuan!” and “Long live the Prime Minister!” – the highest honors a common-born official could achieve.

Yet Su Qin’s subdued response to these extraordinary honors went unnoticed in the revelry. As the banquet concluded in the early morning hours, he found himself strangely empty, his eyes searching in vain for one absent figure – Lady Yan, the former queen. Her mysterious disappearance from court life would soon reveal deeper intrigues within Yan’s palace walls.

The Secret Meeting and a Strategist’s Warning

Later that night, in a private chamber with King Yi and two military commanders, Su Qin shared a cautionary tale from Mencius about a farmer who pulled up his seedlings to make them grow faster, only to watch them wither. The allegory served as his warning against expecting quick results from the alliance.

“Resisting Qin is merely the immediate goal,” Su Qin explained gravely. “The alliance’s true purpose is to buy time for fundamental reforms and strengthening.” He expressed dismay that only Chu seemed to grasp this crucial point, while Yan showed no signs of preparing for the deeper transformation needed.

King Yi, though privately dismissive of what he saw as idealistic talk of reform, humored his strategist while focusing on more immediate military matters. The discussion revealed the growing divide between Su Qin’s vision and the king’s priorities.

The Hidden Queen and Her Secret Sanctuary

Following the banquet, Su Qin received a mysterious nighttime visit from Lady Yan, who had been living in seclusion since the suspicious death of her husband, the previous king. She revealed how the new ruler had tried to control her due to her guardianship of Yan’s secret treasury locations – a responsibility entrusted to her by the late king’s will.

Their emotional reunion led to a secret rendezvous in a hidden valley north of Ji City. In this idyllic sanctuary with its cascading waterfall and vibrant wildlife, away from the pressures of court, the two lovers found temporary refuge. Lady Yan’s knowledge of Yan’s secret treasury locations gave her unique leverage and protection, allowing her to maintain independence despite palace intrigues.

A Strategist’s Dilemma and the Weight of Responsibility

As dawn broke after their night together, Su Qin confronted his growing doubts. The alliance he had conceived during his years of hardship in Luoyang now seemed increasingly fragile. The deaths of key monarchs like King Wei of Chu and King Hui of Wei threatened its stability, while shortsighted rulers like King Yi of Yan failed to grasp its deeper purpose.

The visionary who had dreamed of transforming the warring states now faced the sobering reality that his creation might serve only as a temporary shield against Qin’s expansion. This realization brought profound weariness and a fleeting desire to escape worldly burdens. Yet even in moments of doubt, Su Qin’s sense of mission prevailed – he would continue working to make the alliance a reality, hoping it might buy the eastern states precious time to reform and strengthen themselves.

The Gathering Storm and a Strategist’s Resolve

News of Zhang Yi’s mission to Chu interrupted Su Qin’s brief respite, forcing him to cut short his time with Lady Yan. As he prepared to depart again for diplomatic missions south, the strategist made a private vow: once he had achieved his immediate goal of uniting the six states against Qin in a decisive military confrontation, he would leave public life to join his beloved in seclusion.

Their parting in the hidden valley was bittersweet, both knowing the constraints of their positions – she bound by her royal past and secret responsibilities, he by his unfinished mission to preserve the eastern states from Qin’s domination. Yet in those stolen moments away from court intrigues and diplomatic pressures, they had found rare peace and connection, a glimpse of what might be possible when their duties were done.