amaotonovel Chapter 591 Wei Kingdom Surrenders
Chapter 591 Wei Kingdom Surrenders
The generals looked at Jin Yu, then at King Jia of Wei, and finally, they all knelt down one after another.
Jin Yu watched this scene and suddenly laughed, a bitter, desperate laugh. He slowly removed the jade crown from his head—the general's crown bestowed upon him by the King of Wei—and gently placed it on the ground.
"Your Majesty," he kowtowed for the last time, "I am...tired."
King Wei closed his eyes, tears sliding down his cheeks. When he opened them again, they were lifeless, filled only with a deathly pallor.
"Send the decree..." His voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, "Accept the Qin's conditions...open the city gates...surrender..."
The imperial decree was issued, and the hall fell into a deathly silence. Some wept softly, some stood blankly, and some wore expressions of relief.
King Jia of Wei collapsed onto his throne, as if all his strength had been drained away. He recalled his father, King Anli of Wei's, dying words, his own ambition upon ascending the throne, and the efforts he had made over the years to maintain the state of Wei...
everything is over.
The Wei state, which lasted for eight hundred years, was officially enfeoffed as a vassal state in the twenty-third year of King Weilie of Zhou (403 BC). Through the reigns of Marquis Wen, Marquis Wu, King Hui, King Xiang, King Zhao, King Anli, and so on, a total of eight generations and twenty-three rulers came to an end with him.
That night, Jin Yu committed suicide in his residence. This veteran general, who had fought for the Wei state his entire life, ultimately chose to die for his country. In his suicide note, he wrote only one sentence: "I could not protect the state; I have no choice but to die to atone for the late king's sins."
January 15th, 222 BC.
Just past the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), the Wei-character banners atop the city walls of Daliang hung limply in the cold wind. This once-prosperous capital of the Central Plains had lost its former vitality.
The main hall of the Wei King's Palace.
King Jia of Wei put on his imperial robes for the last time. He reached out and touched the Wei totem—the black bird pattern—embroidered on the robe, his fingers trembling slightly.
"Your Majesty, the time has come." The old eunuch's voice was choked with sobs.
Outside the palace, a sparse number of civil and military officials knelt, fewer than thirty in number. Three months ago, that number was three hundred. Some had committed suicide, some had fled, and some... had secretly left the city to join the Qin dynasty.
King Wei's feigned gaze swept over the ministers. They knelt there, their faces ashen, their eyes vacant.
"Change your clothes," King Wei said, closing his eyes.
White robes, plain hat, hemp shoes.
When King Wei removed his royal robes, a symbol of imperial power, and donned the white robes of a disgraced official, suppressed sobs filled the hall. Several elderly ministers kowtowed, weeping uncontrollably.
"Why are you crying?" King Wei's voice was surprisingly calm. "Keep your tears. You might be able to get some food by crying in front of the Qin people later."
These words, though harsh, brought the weeping to an abrupt halt. Indeed, who was there to cry for? The Kingdom of Wei was already gone.
At the beginning of the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), the gates of Daliang City slowly opened with a piercing creak.
King Wei was riding a thin white horse. Behind him were more than twenty officials, all also on horseback.
They held in their hands the symbols of the Wei Kingdom: the Imperial Seal, maps of mountains and rivers, ancestral temple registers, lists of ritual objects... each one weighing as much as a thousand pounds.
Outside the city gate, the Qin army stood in a strict formation.
Five thousand elite soldiers in black armor lined both sides, stretching from the city gate to the Qin army camp three miles away. The army was completely silent, save for the sound of battle flags fluttering in the cold wind. Sunlight shone on their black armor, reflecting a cold light.
At the very front of the formation, a young general sat astride his warhorse, clad in silver armor and a white robe, standing out starkly against the black ranks of the army. His face was like jade, and his eyes sharp as an eagle's; he was none other than Han Xin, the Qin army's commander-in-chief.
King Wei reined in his horse, took a deep breath, and dismounted. He staggered slightly, and when the old eunuch beside him tried to help him, he waved him away.
He walked forward on foot, his white robes fluttering in the cold wind. Each step seemed to require all his strength. The Wei officials behind him dismounted and followed with their heads bowed.
It took a full quarter of an hour to walk a hundred steps.
Finally, King Jia of Wei arrived before Han Xin's horse. He raised his head and looked at the young general on horseback—this enemy who had destroyed his country was so young, so heartbreakingly young.
"The wicked minister Wei Jia, along with the civil and military officials of Wei, surrendered to the Great Qin."
King Wei feigned kneeling on the ground, his forehead touching the cold earth. He had practiced these words countless times, but when he actually uttered them, his voice still trembled violently.
The officials behind him also knelt down, forming a dense, dark mass.
Han Xin dismounted swiftly and cleanly. He walked to the King of Wei's guise and took the objects symbolizing the Wei kingdom's power. The golden seal felt heavy in his hand, and the map scroll still carried the warmth of the King of Wei's palm.
"By order of the King of Qin—" Han Xin's clear voice echoed throughout the land, "King Wei, being a man of great righteousness, has spared the people from the suffering of war, and hereby bestows upon them the title of Marquis of Guiming, granting them a residence in Xianyang and a fief of a thousand households. Wei officials, after examination, will be retained as appropriate. The people of Wei will be exempt from taxes for one year!"
He paused, gathered his strength, and shouted out the last sentence:
"Open the granaries and distribute the grain!"
These four words exploded like a thunderclap.
First, the remaining defenders on the city walls were stunned. They looked at each other, unable to believe their ears. Then came the people inside the city—those who hid in their homes, anxiously awaiting their fate.
"Open the granary and release the grain?" an old man asked in a trembling voice as he pushed open the half-closed door.
"It's true! The Qin army said it! They're opening the granaries and distributing grain!" someone shouted as they ran through the alley.
The silence lasted for less than ten breaths.
Then, cheers erupted like a torrent from the city, assaulting everyone's eardrums.
"Open the granaries and distribute the grain!"
"There's food here!"
"Long live the King of Qin! Long live the King of Qin!"
The cries grew louder and louder. People poured out of their homes and rushed into the streets. They cried and ran, some even kneeling on the ground and kowtowing towards the city gate.
King Jia of Wei remained kneeling on the ground, listening to the thunderous cheers. Those voices pierced his heart like knives. He had once been their king; he had sworn before the ancestral temple to protect them and ensure their peaceful and prosperous lives.
But did he succeed?
The people suffered famine, and he was powerless to provide relief; the Qin army besieged the city, and he was helpless. In the end, it was his enemies who gave his people a meal.
How ironic, yet how true.
Tears finally welled up and spilled over, the scalding drops falling onto the cold ground and disappearing instantly. King Wei Jia didn't wipe them away, letting the tears flow freely. In that moment, he shed all pretense, all dignity, and all his resolve.
He finally understood: the state of Wei did not perish from the swords of Qin, but from losing the hearts of its people. The hearts of the people are like water; they can carry a boat, but they can also capsize it. His own dilapidated boat could no longer bear the weight of this vast ocean.
Han Xin glanced at King Jia of Wei kneeling on the ground, a complex expression flashing in his eyes. But he quickly regained his composure and waved his hand, saying, "Help Marquis Guiming up. Qin troops, enter the city, maintain order, and open the granaries to distribute grain!"
A black torrent began to surge into Daliang City.
Contrary to popular belief, the Qin army was disciplined and ruthless. Before entering the city, Han Xin issued a strict order: anyone who dared to plunder the people would be executed; anyone who dared to abuse women would be executed; anyone who dared to hoard money and grain would be executed.