The Life and Times of Master Han Fei

Chapter Eighteen

"No state is forever strong or forever weak."

-Master Han Fei

Han spent a week waiting in his secluded little home, away from civilization and accompanied only by unwelcome twinges of longing and despair. He was on the verge of accepting the inevitability of a life spent alone, a life dedicated to the service of the king when he heard the rhythmic knocking on the door he had waited for so reluctantly.

"Come in!" he croaked. It was the first time he had spoken since the night he had returned from the palace. He massaged his throat, his face slightly red from embarrassment. It was not becoming for a person of his station to have emitted such an unconfident noise, to have welcomed in this guest of sorts into his home with the voice of a tortured toad.

The door creaked open, and in stepped a breathless servant of King Zheng, the servant's chest heaving as he began to prattle on about a meeting the Legalist ruler had called.

"I understand," said Han almost immediately, desperately hoping to spare his ears the torment caused by the squeaky voice that had disturbed the quiet of his humble abode. "I shall leave now."

"Of course, sir, of course! We must hurry, sir! Your predecessor has arrived at the palace already!"

"My predecessor!" growled Han. "I have heard enough about my predecessor! I am the Chief Advisor now, not him! We have problems here in the Qin kingdom that can be solved by me alone; this is why your king has selected me to be the Chief Advisor. I am here for a reason! No more mention of my predecessor, please-I forbid it!"

"Apologies, my lord," whispered the servant, bowing his head down in shame. "It will not happen again."

"I mean it is ridiculous!" exploded the Chief Advisor. "Absolutely ridiculous! Who is this man anyway? How can he even hope to compare to me? I have fought in battles, I have governed entire cities, I have represented my people, and I have written political treatises! I have done many great things, many brilliant things-I am not afraid to say that they are great-and I have finally received a fitting reward. It is the will of Heaven itself. Who are you to question the judgment of Heaven, of the spirits that roam that celestial realm?"

"I am sorry," apologized the servant again, but it was no use.

"The Legalist man is a free man, for he is free to obey his king! The Confucian man is a limited man, for he must obey his king, but kowtow to his father at the same time as he genuflects to his father, while worshipping his ancestors and paying his respects to society as well!"

"Yes sir. Of course."

"You realize this, do you not? I realize this truth; the king realizes this truth. But nobody else does here! This is why I am here, to be an agent for change! For reform! No longer shall the blind advise the deaf as it was in my former homeland! King Zheng has fantastic ears, I am sure-and I have perfect vision. I have perfect vision! Do you dispute the undeniable fact that I have perfect vision?"

"Uh, no, I do not, sir. I do not question this at all," responded the clearly puzzled servant, stumbling for words.

"Let's head off then!" exclaimed the Chief Advisor cheerily, an oversized smile plastered across his face.

"Yes, sir, of course, sir," stuttered the servant dashing after Han Fei, who had broken into a sudden dead sprint.

The sun's scorching heat beat down on Han's back, but he did not care even in the slightest. He was a fox-lupine, but not completely like one. He knew now that he lacked the killer instinct, that trait in predators that could empower him to tear apart his prey on a whim. He could keep on running for as long as he liked; however, he could sprint as fast as the wind could blow, but eventually he stopped-he wanted to; he did not need to, panting as the servant from before walked back over from the hilltop in front of the Chief Advisor.