刺客列传 — Shiji

Duke Huan of Qi agreed to meet Duke Zhuang at Ko to seal a covenant. Once the two dukes had sworn their oath on the altar, Cao Mo seized a dagger and held Duke Huan hostage. None of Duke Huan's attendants dared move. They asked, "What would you have?" Cao Mo replied, "Qi is strong and Lu is weak, yet you have invaded Lu outrageously. Now if Lu's city walls were to crumble, they would press upon Qi's borders—consider this carefully." Duke Huan promised to return all of Lu's occupied territories.

One hundred and sixty-seven years later, there occurred the affair of Zhuan Zhu in Wu.

Zhuan Zhu was a man of Tangyi in Wu. When Wu Zixu fled from Chu to Wu, he recognized Zhuan Zhu's abilities. Wu Zixu had an audience with King Liao of Wu and argued the case for attacking Chu. The king's nephew Prince Guang said, "Wu Yuan's father and elder brothers were all killed by Chu, and he advocates attacking Chu only to settle a personal vendetta—he cannot act for Wu." The king therefore dropped the matter.

Wu Zixu knew that Prince Guang intended to assassinate King Liao. He thought: "This Guang harbors private ambitions within; he cannot be persuaded with external affairs." So he introduced Zhuan Zhu to Prince Guang. Guang's father was King Zhufan of Wu. Zhufan had three younger brothers: the second was Yuji, the third Yimi, and the youngest Jizha. Knowing that Jizha was worthy, Zhufan did not name an heir apparent but instead passed the throne in turn to each brother, hoping eventually to vest the kingdom in Jizha. When Zhufan died, the throne passed to Yuji. When Yuji died, it passed to Yimi. When Yimi died, the throne should have passed to Jizha, but Jizha fled and refused to take it. The Wu nobles therefore enthroned Yimi's son Liao as king.

Prince Guang said, "If the succession followed the brothers, then Jizha should reign; if it must go to a son, then I, Guang, am the true heir and should be king." He therefore secretly gathered scheming men to secure the throne.

Prince Guang said to Zhuan Zhu, "This moment must not be missed—what are we waiting for? Moreover, I am the rightful successor and should be king; even if Jizi came, he could not depose me." Zhuan Zhu replied, "King Liao can be killed. His mother is old, his sons are young, and his two brothers are leading troops to attack Chu, leaving his rear exposed. Now Wu is externally besieged by Chu and internally lacks resolute ministers—so he is helpless against us." Guang bowed his head to the ground, saying, "My body is yours."

In the fourth month, on the day of Bingzi, Guang concealed armed men in an underground chamber and prepared a banquet for the king. King Liao lined his troops from the palace to Guang's residence; the gates, stairs, and both sides were filled with the king's relatives, standing guard with long polearms. When the drinking grew heated, Prince Guang pretended to have foot pain and retired to the underground chamber, instructing Zhuan Zhu to hide the blade inside a roasted fish and present it. When he reached the king, Zhuan Zhu sliced open the fish and thrust the blade into King Liao, who died instantly. The guards cut down Zhuan Zhu, and the king's men fell into chaos. Prince Guang emerged with his hidden soldiers and attacked Liao's followers, killing them all. He then established himself as king—King Helü.

King Helü enfeoffed Zhuan Zhu's son as a high minister.

Yu Rang fled into the mountains, saying, "Alas! A gentleman dies for one who understands him; a woman adorns herself for one who delights in her. Since Lord Zhi Bo understood me, I must die seeking vengeance for him, to repay Lord Zhi Bo—only then can my spirit be untroubled."

He changed his name and disguised himself as a convict, entered the palace to scrub the latrines, and concealed a dagger within, intending to assassinate Xiangzi. Xiangzi went to the latrine, felt a sudden misgiving, and had the convict scrubbing the latrine seized and questioned. The man was Yu Rang, with a weapon concealed on him. "I wish to avenge Lord Zhi Bo!" he declared. Xiangzi's attendants wanted to kill him, but Xiangzi said, "He is a righteous man. I should cautiously avoid him. Moreover, Lord Zhi Bo has no descendants, and his retainer wishes to avenge him—this is a worthy man of the realm." He released Yu Rang and let him go.

Not long after, Yu Rang lacquered his skin until it became mottled and scarred, swallowed hot charcoal to make himself mute, so that his appearance could not be recognized. He went begging through the marketplace. His own wife did not recognize him. When he encountered a friend, the friend identified him. "Are you not Yu Rang?" "I am," he replied. His friend wept and said, "With your talent, you could submit yourself and serve Xiangzi—he would surely favor you. If he favored you, you could do as you wished. Would that not be easier? Why destroy yourself in this way to seek vengeance on Xiangzi? Is it not too difficult?"

Xiangzi then reproached Yu Rang: "Did you not serve the Fan and Zhonghang families? Lord Zhi Bo destroyed them both, yet you did not avenge them—instead you submitted yourself to Lord Zhi Bo. Lord Zhi Bo is now dead, yet why do you seek vengeance so deeply for him?"

Yu Rang replied, "When I served the Fan and Zhonghang families, they treated me as an ordinary man, so I responded as an ordinary man would. But Lord Zhi Bo treated me as a statesman treats his country—he gave me the treatment of a national hero, so I respond as a national hero would."

Xiangzi, moved by great righteousness, sent a messenger with his robe. Yu Rang drew his sword and struck it three times, saying, "I can now report to Lord Zhi Bo below!" He then fell upon his sword and died. When this became known, the righteous men of Zhao wept for him.

Nie Zheng was a man of Shenjing Village in Zhi. He killed someone and, to escape vengeance, went with his mother and sister to Qi, where he worked as a butcher. After some time, Zhongzi of Puyang served Marquis Ai of Han. Zhongzi had a dispute with the Han prime minister Xia Lei. Fearing assassination, Zhongzi fled and traveled about seeking someone who could avenge him against Xia Lei. He arrived in Qi, where someone told him that Nie Zheng was a courageous man who, to avoid enemies, hid among butchers.

Zhongzi came to his door and requested an audience. He made many visits, then personally prepared a feast and refreshed Nie Zheng's mother before him. When the drinking grew heated, Zhongzi presented a hundred yi of gold as a birthday gift for Nie Zheng's mother. Nie Zheng was astonished by the generosity and firmly declined. "Your gift is indeed generous, but I cannot accept it."

Zhongzi pressed on: "I have a blood feud, and I have traveled through many states seeking vengeance. When I reached Qi, I heard of your high reputation, so I offer this hundred in gold for your venerable mother's modest expenses—let me be acquainted with you. How could I presume to make a request?"

Nie Zheng said, "I am a mere market butcher who has debased myself and serves in the marketplace, hoping only to support my aged mother. As long as my mother lives, I dare not pledge myself to anyone." Zhongzi insisted, but Nie Zheng would not accept.

In the end, Zhongzi departed after fulfilling the obligations of host and guest.

After a long while, Nie Zheng's mother died. When the burial was complete and the period of mourning ended, Nie Zheng said, "Alas! I am but a market man, plying my knife among butchers. Yet Zhongzi, a minister of marquis and lord, traveled a thousand li to bend his carriage and befriend me. What I offered him was the most meager hospitality—there was nothing of merit to speak of—and yet he presented a hundred in gold for my mother's birthday. Though I did not accept, this alone shows how deeply he understood me. A worthy man acts on righteous anger and befriends those in obscure circumstances. How then could I remain silent? He sought me before, but I refused because of my mother. Now my mother has ended her years by heaven's will. I will serve my true friend."

He therefore traveled west to Puyang and met Zhongzi: "Before, I refused you only because my mother was alive. Now she has ended her years by heaven's will. Whose vengeance does you wish to accomplish? Let me undertake it!"

Zhongzi told him everything: "My enemy is the Han prime minister Xia Lei. Xia Lei is also the youngest uncle of the Han ruler. His clan is large and powerful, and his household guard is formidable. I have sought to have him assassinated but have never succeeded. Now, fortunate that you do not spurn me, I would add to your carriage and horses, and the bold warriors who might assist you."

Nie Zheng said, "Han and Wei are not far apart. Now you would kill a prime minister who is also the ruler's close relative. In such circumstances, one cannot bring many men. If many go, someone is sure to make a mistake; once a mistake occurs, the word will leak out. If word spreads, the whole state of Han will become your enemy—would that not be dangerous?"

He declined the carriage, horses, and men, and went alone, sword in hand, to Han. Prime Minister Xia Lei was sitting in his court, surrounded by many armed guards. Nie Zheng strode directly in, ascended the steps, and killed Xia Lei. Great chaos erupted. Nie Zheng shouted loudly and slew several dozen men. Then he cut his own face, gouged out his eyes, sliced open his belly, and died.

The Han authorities took Nie Zheng's corpse and exposed it in the marketplace, offering a reward for information about the assassin. None could identify him. After some time, Nie Zheng's sister Rong heard that someone had assassinated the Han prime minister but the assassin could not be found, the state did not know his name, and his corpse had been displayed with a reward of a thousand gold pieces upon it. She wailed, "Could this be my brother? Alas, Zhongzi knew my brother!"

The people of the Han marketplace were astounded. She called out to heaven three times and, in her grief, died beside her brother's body.

When the men of Jin, Chu, Qi, and Wei heard of this, they said, "It is not only Nie Zheng who was capable—his sister was also a woman of spirit. Had Nie Zheng truly known that his sister lacked the will to endure hardship, that she would not shrink from the suffering of exposed bones, he would have avoided danger and traveled a thousand li to ensure his name would not be lost with his sister's collaboration at the Han marketplace—he would not have dared to give himself entirely to Zhongzi. Zhongzi truly knew how to recognize men and obtain worthy followers!"