The Life and Times of Master Han Fei

Chapter 9

"To take untaught men to war is called throwing them away."
-Confucius

When their fellow regiment soldiers finally came to the valley, it was not to report for duty, but to escort Han's unit to the "correct" meeting point. "Colonel Jin informed everyone of this change in venue," reprimanded Garrison Commander Lin. "You are soldiers, for heaven's sake!"

The other soldiers in the regiment were assembled just outside the barracks, much to Han's surprise and to Zheng's annoyance.

All eyes were on the tardy unit, as Han and his companions approached them nervously, acutely aware of the glares shot in their direction.

"Look who has decided to join us!" exclaimed the colonel jovially; laugh lines forming across his face. "Get lost or something?" he asked mockingly.

Before Han could answer, before his mouth even opened to explain their late arrival, the grin disappeared, Jin's smile replaced by a furious glower. "Insubordination!" he roared. "Dereliction of duty!"

He jabbed a finger at Han. "If you think for a second, Prince Han Fei, that I will allow for you and your little coterie of foreigners and disgraced soldiers to come and go as you please, you are sorely mistaken. I am the colonel. This is my regiment now. Not yours. Not Lieutenant Wang's. Not your foreigner's friend. And certainly not his!" he shouted angrily, pointing at Zheng.

Han looked around him. Li Si was watching with concern, though the prince realized that the diplomat was probably more worried about how the colonel's conduct would affect diplomatic relations, and therefore his own career. Lu was, in that ox-like way of his, gazing at the Chu soldier blankly, expressionlessly.

Zheng was surprisingly calm. The prince admired him, the stoic manner of the captain as he stood; taking in the barrage of baiting barbs from the former subordinate who had went behind his back. Han did not think himself a bad-tempered man, but he knew with absolute certainty that he would have been able to keep his composure as well as the expressionless warrior did.

"That is enough, Colonel Jin," snapped Li Si sharply. "You are a soldier of the King, may he live ten thousand years! Conduct yourself in a manner befitting of a warrior in the service of a great man such as our ruler; we do not need such pettiness from a commanding officer!

The colonel spat at the bureaucrat, sneering with satisfaction as his saliva dripped slowly from Li Si's face. He shoved the wiry government official, then wagging his finger before launching into a tirade.

"Do not ever speak to me like that again, you political nonentity!" he roared. "You and the other politicians are squabbling leeches, the bickering parasites that are allowing barbarian tribes such as the Qiang and your beloved Han "kingdom" to encroach on Chu lands-and every li is vital Chu territory (and I defend every bit of our kingdom!). Your kind has allowed our nation to degenerate. You are filth; you are trash. How dare you address a soldier in this way?"

The soldiers in audience cheered. "Hear, hear!" They chorused. "Hear, hear!"

Li Si seethed with anger. His body shook, and his eyes were narrowed into slits, like a snake that had had its prey elude it one too many times. He offered no vocal retort, no angry response to the boorish headman, instead, he wordlessly drew the king's letter from the folds of his red robes.

"And what is that?" jeered the colonel in his cocksure way. "Your letter of dismissal, perhaps? Are you here to beg for a place in my regiment? Because I am afraid that the quota for the dishonored and the disgraced has already been exceeded." Jin nudged his head in the direction of Han, Lu, Zheng, and Wang.