Volume One: The Hidden Dragon in the Depths Chapter 31: Analysis

“What is His Highness doing?”
“He’s cultivating.”
“Oh.”
Yang Hao came over for a look, and nodded upon hearing this.
Indeed, he is wholly devoted to the martial path.
Returning to his room, Yang Hao found himself becoming more diligent as well, first practicing his own martial arts. The technique Wang Chuan had given him was truly formidable—when cultivated to its peak, one would wield boundless power, capable of feats like plucking stars and moving moons, shifting the heavens and the constellations with ease!
Yet, as he trained, he gradually sensed a lingering restlessness within.
He understood then that, in the end, he could never be as single-minded in the martial way as Wang Chuan. His achievements on this path would inevitably be limited.
But every man has his strengths.
With this thought, he passed by Wang Chuan’s chambers and saw Loyal Uncle still standing guard at the door.
It seemed that whenever Wang Chuan had any need, Loyal Uncle could appear at a moment’s notice—always so.
Master and servant, it must be nearly twenty years now.
“Loyal Uncle, you work so hard,” Yang Hao said respectfully as he sat down beside him.
“You flatter me, Young Master Yang. We are much indebted to your care,” Loyal Uncle replied gratefully.
“I’ve done little,” Yang Hao said, glancing toward the room. “His Highness is like a true dragon, soaring on the wind, rising to the highest heavens, beyond our reach. I am but a humble sparrow beneath the eaves; as His Highness said that day, my help is limited.”
“Young Master Yang, you praise him too highly. Still, thank you for holding my master in such esteem.” Loyal Uncle looked even more pleased than if Yang Hao had praised him directly, his face glowing with pride. “We have been in Luo City for over a decade. His Highness has made a few friends, but after that misfortune struck, we were united in adversity. His Highness is still too solitary. The martial path is a lonely road—he already has no companion to keep him company on it.”
Yang Hao nodded. That was Wang Chuan—the very person they had chosen to follow.
He carried a book with him, and in the waning light, he took it out and read, keeping Loyal Uncle company at the door.
“What are you reading, Young Master Yang?” Loyal Uncle asked curiously.
“Essays on statecraft,” Yang Hao replied.
“You read such things as well?” Loyal Uncle was surprised.
“A merchant must know the affairs of court and understand the people’s needs. It is only proper,” Yang Hao answered.
Those who deal in trade must always pay heed to matters of state; sometimes a single policy can spell either ruin or sudden wealth.
The common people, too, are crucial—like water that can both carry and capsize a boat. Thus, Yang Hao had always treaded carefully.
“Young Master Yang, you know His Highness well. What do you think is on his mind? Before we came to Fucheng, we had never met this princess. Although His Highness has intentions, why did he come in the first place?” Loyal Uncle still did not understand.
“The world is changing. Now all have gathered in Fucheng, and His Highness has made a name for himself. There will be unexpected turns ahead, and His Highness is making his own moves,” Yang Hao said, knowing something of it. “As long as we can keep ourselves safe, there is no need to trouble His Highness.”
Loyal Uncle nodded, then asked, “Do you think His Highness is unwilling to return to his own country?”
“Why do you ask, Loyal Uncle? In my view, it’s merely that the time has not yet come. Is Yu not good enough? I believe it is freer than Jin or Wei. As for His Highness’s wishes, we shouldn’t speculate too much,” Yang Hao replied. “Still, we should be prepared.”
“I suspect the Lord of Yu harbors ill intentions. Without some great upheaval, he will not harm His Highness, so it’s no harm to remain here for now,” Loyal Uncle agreed. “I only wish for His Highness to live a peaceful life. But if the time to return draws near, we must be ready to help him. Yet, why do you and I both feel the time has not come? What are we waiting for?”
“For momentum! The great roc rises on the wind in a single day—when the winds of fortune surge, that will be the day His Highness truly soars to rule all under heaven,” Yang Hao explained. “At the state banquet, His Highness once again stole the spotlight—his poetry peerless, his martial prowess unrivaled, his fame now echoes everywhere. But that is not enough to return to Jin—without foundation, he is but a duckweed afloat on the river.”
“I have always been worried. I hear the strongest contender in Jin is the Fourth Prince. Unlike His Highness, who has lain low for years, the Fourth Prince has been in the army since childhood, distinguished himself in countless campaigns, and is adept in affairs of state. Even the Lord of Jin calls him a man fit to rule, and he has the people’s support. The few times we suffered ambushes, it was him working behind the scenes,” Loyal Uncle confided.
“I’ve heard of this Fourth Prince too, but it matters little. His Highness is not one to let a grievance go unavenged. When he returns, this person will not pose a threat,” Yang Hao said with a smile.
He had never worried about this; Wang Chuan even less so, for he possessed advantages no one else could match.
“What truly concerns me is what the Star Seer said that day—His Highness may become the Emperor of Men!” Yang Hao said gravely.
“The Emperor of Men?” Loyal Uncle was startled, awed by the sound of it.
“Yes, the Emperor of Men—the lord of all under heaven, uniting the four seas and six kingdoms, the ruler who brings the world to order,” Yang Hao explained.
“What?” Loyal Uncle was even more shocked, rising to his feet.
Someone had told him that his master would one day unite the world…
It was too much to take in.
“Do you believe it, Young Master Yang? But His Highness seems to have little interest in wielding power,” Loyal Uncle said, familiar with the situation. “Besides, the lords of Jin and Wei are in their prime—both are formidable rulers.”
“I do not easily trust the words of others, but this was the Star Seer’s prophecy. Now, the rumors are everywhere, growing more and more mystical,” Yang Hao said with a deep breath. “Did you not meet him yourself? They say that when he came to see the Princess Royal years ago, he called her a true phoenix—soon after, she was renowned throughout the land.”
“Twenty years ago, the eleventh prince of Xia was unremarkable, utterly ordinary. But the Star Seer declared he would become the Lord of Xia. Within a few years, the Xia ruler died, chaos reigned, and after many convolutions, that prince ascended the throne. He’s been Emperor for over a decade now.”
Loyal Uncle listened, his heart racing, a touch of dread in his chest. “So you think… His Highness could really… could really…”
“Man proposes, heaven disposes,” Yang Hao smiled. “From that day, I began to study statecraft in earnest, hoping to be His Highness’s right arm—even if he himself cares little for imperial ambitions.”
“Then I must devote myself to my own training as well,” Loyal Uncle said seriously. “Young Master Yang, you know His Highness well. If he remains devoted only to martial arts, what do you gain? Why did you choose to support him so wholeheartedly?”
“I once spoke to His Highness about Lü Buwei and the idea of rare goods fetching high prices. He is no stranger, nor am I Lü Buwei,” Yang Hao said, glancing inside. “Have you not heard of Lord Mengchang and his three burrows? When the King of Qi dismissed him, he retired to Xue. The people there, grateful for his past kindness, came from miles around to welcome him. That was the reward of virtue. My following of His Highness is much the same—perhaps I will never need a retreat, but by keeping a way out, I am free of worry. I imagine His Highness’s stay in Fucheng is for the same reason.”
Loyal Uncle nodded, seeming to understand.
“Besides, what I have invested is little, so I fear no great loss. His Highness understands all this,” Yang Hao said honestly. “Even if he devotes himself to martial arts and I gain nothing in the end, I ask for nothing more than for the world to know I once aided him. What I gain is far more than you can imagine.”
“You truly are a first-rate merchant, Young Master Yang,” Loyal Uncle agreed. No wonder Wang Chuan always called him a clever man and held him in such regard.
Though such things, viewed through the lens of profit, were all too clear and cold.
In this world, power and beauty are but commodities—how much more so everything else.
“I am not of the Zhao family. To have known you and His Highness is enough to bring me peace in this life,” Yang Hao said, sincerity in his tone. “As the saying goes, ‘A true man dies for the one who understands him.’ From the moment I met His Highness, I knew he was a wise lord, worthy of lifelong loyalty. To be honest, I have wavered before—but I am grateful that I held fast, that I did not lose this friendship or fail you both.”
That must have been when Wang Chuan faked his death.
In the end, Yang Hao persevered. He, too, had considered betraying Wang Chuan like the Zhao family, but then his own words to Wang Chuan would have seemed so laughable.
Fortunately, he chose rightly.
“Young Master Yang, you are a different man from the one I first met in Luo City,” Loyal Uncle praised.
Indeed, the Yang Hao of today radiated far more confidence and spirit than before.
“Yes, I was once very insecure, until I met His Highness—he never held any of my flaws against me,” Yang Hao said with gratitude. “In my youth, I had great ambitions, wanting to achieve something, to bring honor to my family… I read the classics, admired the sages, and longed to master the art of governance. But my family was poor, and I had to give it up. I realized those things would not fill my belly or clothe my family. So I worked at an inn, learning that only by relying on myself, step by step, could I gain anything.”
“Later, when war broke out on the borders, I sold medicinal herbs to the army and made my first earnings. I never forgot my childhood dreams, and took up my books again. But merchants were the lowest class and barred from the civil service. I traveled from county to county, seeking work as a secretary, but was mocked everywhere, unable even to find that menial post. So I put away my books and returned to trade, saving capital. In the capital, I met a great man who respected me and went into business with me. We invested in a teahouse, and because of him, many young nobles came by for entertainment. But the first month, we lost a lot. I confronted him, suspecting he was deceiving me. I still remember his calm—later, I often saw the same in His Highness. He refunded my money without protest. I thought long and hard, decided to trust him, and invested two thousand more taels. That was trust.”
“The great man was pleased. He told me that in business there are short-term gains and long-term benefits—small profit and great profit. He taught me much, like a teacher and a father, but sadly, he passed away too soon.”
“The next person to have faith in me was His Highness. ‘A true man dies for the one who knows him.’ Since that day, I picked up my books again and began studying statecraft. I am but a tradesman; if I claimed to admire the likes of Shudan or Guan Zhong and aspired to emulate them, the world would laugh. But His Highness would trust me—he understands me, and that is worth a lifetime of devotion.”
Loyal Uncle was shaken, recalling that evening when he had come and waited quietly for that figure to appear.
He had waited for hours, filled with unwavering resolve.
“Loyal Uncle, from the first time I met His Highness, I knew he had no ambition to rule the world, though we might wish it for him. Yet, even so, I wish to do something for him,” Yang Hao said earnestly. “These days, I have been making connections among the powerful in Fucheng, offering gifts and money, all in His Highness’s name, to build his reputation.”
“Does His Highness know?” Loyal Uncle asked anxiously.
“He knows, but he is indifferent,” Yang Hao sighed. Though both of them worked so hard, Wang Chuan remained unmoved. “But everyone understands that, in the end, it all depends on the Lord of Yu. Is His Highness just a guest in Fucheng, or will Yu support him? It all hinges on the Lord of Yu. What I do is of little consequence, unable to affect the greater picture.”
Loyal Uncle was momentarily speechless, knowing it was true but still admiring Yang Hao’s efforts.
“I still haven’t figured out the Lord of Yu’s intentions. I suppose this is a question that concerns the whole court of Yu. On that day, he gave His Highness a crown—perhaps to stir up rivalry among his brothers, or maybe the people believe it means the Lord of Yu supports His Highness, crowning him as a dragon. But then again, it could all be a ploy to destroy by over-praise,” Yang Hao said, troubled.
“Then, Young Master Yang, what do you think His Highness intends?” Loyal Uncle asked, knowing Yang Hao understood Wang Chuan best.
This was also a source of guilt for Loyal Uncle—he felt his own mind was too slow, never able to be of real help.
Whenever Wang Chuan asked him to do something, he suspected some deeper meaning but did not want to trouble Wang Chuan, so he racked his own brains.
Sometimes he thought so hard his hair fell out.
When Wang Chuan noticed, he would explain things to him.
But Yang Hao always seemed to understand His Highness’s thinking.
Especially since that fateful divination: the hidden dragon must not act; ever since, Yang Hao had understood.
“I believe His Highness is waiting for something—or perhaps the Lord of Yu is also waiting for the right opportunity,” Yang Hao said, tapping his forehead with a finger. “That day, His Highness fought for Yu, composed verses for the Queen and Princess, and all Yu knows the Princess is on friendly terms with him. The small momentum is there, but what is lacking is a great momentum—enough for Yu to support him with all its strength.”
“In the Art of War, the chapter on momentum says: ‘In all warfare, face your opponents with orthodox strategy, but win with surprise. The skillful use of surprise is boundless as heaven and earth, inexhaustible as the rivers and seas.’ From the day we planned to leave Luo City, I believe that has been the way of it.”
Loyal Uncle listened, somewhat dizzy, but impressed all the same.