RPAGF Chapter 70 King Qin grants Gao Jianli's wish
Chapter 70 King Qin grants Gao Jianli's wish
Gao Jianli waited several more days but still did not receive an imperial edict from the King of Qin summoning him. This made Gao Jianli increasingly irritable. He couldn't understand what the problem was. Was it because his zither skills were not good enough? Or was the King of Qin dissatisfied with him? Gao Jianli was in a state of utter confusion and didn't know what to do.
That day, Gao Jianli could no longer sit still and decided to go out and investigate. He cautiously opened the door and, finding no guards outside, breathed a sigh of relief. Gao Jianli felt his way along the wall, taking one step at a time.
As Gao Jianli walked, he felt he had arrived at a courtyard. He groped his way to a place to sit down and suddenly heard two people talking in the distance. One of them said, "Why doesn't the King punish Gao Jianli?" The others replied, "The King is merciful. Not only did Gao Jianli do nothing, but even his friend Jing Ke, hasn't been punished by our King?"
Upon hearing this, Gao Jianli could no longer remain calm. He suddenly asked, "What did you say? Jing Ke isn't dead?" His voice was filled with surprise and doubt. The two musicians were startled. They turned around and saw Gao Jianli standing there, his face pale.
Gao Jianli stumbled toward the two musicians, falling down along the way, but getting up and continuing on. Finally, he touched one of the musicians, grabbed his clothes tightly, and asked urgently, "You just said Jing Ke isn't dead? Is that true?"
The two musicians exchanged a glance, hesitated for a moment, and then one of them nodded: "Yes, Jing Ke is indeed not dead. The king couldn't bear to kill him and imprisoned him."
Gao Jianli smiled slightly, but the smile quickly turned to worry. He knew that Jing Ke's assassination attempt on the King of Qin had failed, and although he had survived, he was now imprisoned. He secretly resolved to find a way to get Jing Ke out. At the same time, he understood why the King of Qin had not summoned him yet; perhaps the King was observing whether he would attempt another assassination like Jing Ke.
Gao Jianli took a deep breath to calm himself. He thanked the two musicians and told them not to tell anyone about what had happened that day. Then, he slowly turned and groped his way away.
After returning to his residence, Gao Jianli kept replaying the day's events in his mind. The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt, as if he had been under close surveillance by the King of Qin from the moment he stepped into Zhangtai Palace. How could such a shrewd and wise man as the King of Qin be so careless just because he was blind? It seemed that everything he had done was already under the King of Qin's control.
Thinking of this, Gao Jianli gave a bitter smile: "Heh, Gao Jianli, how can you possibly contend with the mighty King of Qin?" Since the King of Qin was fully aware of his actions, those two musicians today were most likely arranged by the King of Qin. Moreover, Gao Jianli even suspected that the area around his palace was already filled with the King of Qin's spies, secretly monitoring his every move. He could only blame himself for being too careless and failing to notice.
At this moment, Gao Jianli secretly pondered that perhaps he should take the initiative to meet with the King of Qin and have a frank and honest conversation with him. After all, avoidance would not solve the problem; on the contrary, it might make the situation worse.
Thinking of this, Gao Jianli shouted outside, "I want to see the King of Qin!" Seeing no response, Gao Jianli continued, "I already know you are watching from outside. Deliver my message to the King of Qin; he will surely see me." Then Gao Jianli listened carefully and indeed heard faint footsteps. Upon hearing the footsteps, Gao Jianli, for some reason, let out a long sigh of relief.
Upon hearing the guard's report, the King of Qin said, "Oh? He's quite a clever man. Bring him to me!" The guard replied, "Yes!" and turned to leave.
Soon after, Gao Jianli was brought before the King of Qin. With his blind eyes, Gao Jianli stared intently at the King and demanded, "Jing Ke's assassination attempt on the King of Qin was a grave crime. Why didn't Your Majesty kill him?"
The King of Qin remained expressionless and coldly replied, "Although Jing Ke was an assassin, his courage and loyalty are admirable."
Upon hearing this, Gao Jianli was filled with grief and indignation. He shouted, "Jing Ke's assassination attempt on the King of Qin was for the sake of the State of Yan. His actions were righteous!"
The King of Qin said loudly, "The world, after a long period of division, will unite; after a long period of unity, will divide. My unification of the six states is an inevitable trend. Jing Ke's actions were nothing more than a mantis trying to stop a chariot."
Gao Jianli was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Your Majesty, I don't understand why you didn't kill Jing Ke, and I don't understand why you kept me in the palace knowing that I also had murderous intent towards you?"
The King of Qin remained expressionless and coldly replied, "Gao Jianli, you are a rare talent. I admire your skill in playing the zither. I spared your life because I wanted to make you work for me."
Gao Jianli laughed in fury: "Haha, King of Qin, do you think I would serve you? Jing Ke is my close friend. Although he is not dead, he suffers in prison every day. How can I enjoy wealth and honor by myself? And even do things for you? I wish I could cut you into a thousand pieces!"
A cold glint flashed in the King of Qin's eyes: "Gao Jianli, if you dare to make a move, I will make you wish you were dead. But if you play for me, I can spare your life."
Gao Jianli remained silent for a moment, then slowly said, "King of Qin, do you know that Jing Ke assassinated you for the sake of the people? You are cruel and tyrannical, and the people are living in misery."
The King of Qin snorted coldly: "I unified the six kingdoms to end the war and allow the people to live a peaceful life. Everything I have done is for the greater good of the world."
Gao Jianli looked at the King of Qin, his heart filled with contradiction and struggle. He knew he could not assassinate the King, yet he was unwilling to serve him. Ultimately, he decided to express his feelings through music.
Gao Jianli picked up his zither and began to play a mournful melody. His music was filled with longing for Jing Ke and anger towards the King of Qin. The King of Qin listened quietly, and a sense of melancholy welled up within him.
The King of Qin looked at Gao Jianli with a cold expression, a resolute glint in his eyes. He slowly said, "Gao Jianli, since you and Jing Ke have such a deep bond, how can I bear to separate you? Go, go and keep him company!" After saying that, the King of Qin waved his hand, signaling the guards to step forward.
Two guards immediately stepped forward, grabbed Gao Jianli's arms, and forcefully dragged him out of the hall. Gao Jianli's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief. He struggled desperately, but could not break free from the guards' grasp.
The guards dragged Gao Jianli along a long corridor, through door after door, until they finally arrived at a cold and silent place. Gao Jianli was ruthlessly pushed into this unknown place, unsure if anyone else was there.
He cautiously groped his way forward, but due to his limited vision, he quickly lost his balance and fell heavily to the ground. The ground was icy cold, making him shiver. However, what chilled him even more was that he finally realized the King of Qin's intention—to imprison him.
Gao Jianli felt helpless and terrified. He couldn't see his surroundings and could only perceive the world through his hearing. So he began to shout, "Jing Ke, Jing Ke, where are you?" His voice, filled with despair and hope, echoed through the dark prison cell.
Jing Ke heard Gao Jianli's call and was startled. He had thought he was the only one imprisoned here, but he hadn't expected Gao Jianli to suffer the same fate. He replied, "Is that Brother Gao? I am Jing Ke." Jing Ke's voice revealed a hint of surprise and helplessness.
The two men communicated through the wall in their cell, sharing their experiences. They both knew they were in dire straits, but they still cared for each other.