Jing Ke, a figure in the "Biographies of Assassins" in the *Records of the Grand Historian*, has thus achieved lasting fame. This is likely directly related to Sima Qian's historical perspective, which does not judge heroes solely by success or failure. Besides the idiom "the map is unrolled, the dagger is revealed," what he left behind for posterity is probably the song sung by his friend Gao Jianli, played on the zither: "The wind howls, the Yi River is cold, the brave warrior departs, never to return."
At that time, the Qin state had already captured the King of Han and, taking advantage of the situation, launched an attack on the Chu state to the south and threatened the Zhao state to the north. The Zhao state was powerless against Qin, so disaster was about to befall the weak Yan state. As for the other states, they had all submitted to Qin. In response to this situation, Prince Dan of Yan proposed sending the greatest and most fearless warrior in the land to coerce King Zheng of Qin into returning the annexed territories to the other states, just as Cao Mo had forced Duke Huan of Qi to return the lost territories of Lu. If coercion failed, then the king should be killed, causing Qin to lose its composure and providing an opportunity for the other states to rise again.
Prince Dan of Yan, having heard of Jing Ke's potential as a warrior, brought lavish gifts and sought his assistance. After speaking with Prince Dan, Jing Ke agreed. To ensure success, Jing Ke requested that Prince Dan present the head of General Fan Yu of Yan and a map of Dukang in Yan to King Zheng of Qin, so that they could seize the opportunity to strike. General Fan Yu, for the sake of the greater good, willingly committed suicide to offer his head. Prince Dan also obtained the sharpest dagger in the land beforehand, ordering craftsmen to heat it red-hot and soak it in poison. He also appointed Qin Wuyang, a brave warrior
from Yan, as his assistant to accompany him to Qin. Such meticulous planning, coupled with the unparalleled skill of the assassin, should have made success a certainty. However, things in this world are often unpredictable. Even with all the necessary conditions in place and favorable circumstances, the mission ultimately failed.
After arriving in Qin, the two, through Meng Jia, a favorite minister of King Zheng, successfully met with him. After the map was unrolled and the dagger was revealed, Jing Ke seized the opportunity, grabbing King Zheng of Qin's robe sleeve and thrusting the dagger towards his chest. King Zheng, terrified, leaped up, tearing off the sleeve (missing his chance). Jing Ke then pursued King Zheng, who ran around a pillar (again missing his chance, King Zheng now unarmed). The assembled officials were stunned, unable to offer assistance (as the law forbade officials serving in the palace to carry any weapons), and could only try to save the king with their bare hands, shouting, "Your Majesty, put the sword on your back!" (It was too late). The unparalleled assassin, Jing Ke, then had his left thigh severed by King Zheng's sword (defeat was inevitable). In his despair, he uttered these words of lament: "The reason this mission failed was only to capture you alive and force you to sign a treaty, returning the annexed lands, as a reward to Prince Dan of Yan." He was then dismembered and his body displayed publicly. King Zheng of Qin was furious. After sending reinforcements to Zhao, he joined Qin general Wang Jian in attacking Yan, and Yan was defeated.
This is the story of Jing Ke, the warrior of Yan and Zhao. He left behind the poignant song, "The wind howls, the Yi River is cold, the hero departs, never to return," on the banks of the Yi River. This was disappointing for Prince Dan of Yan, who had so eagerly hoped for success. It was disrespectful to General Fan Yu, who died for the greater good. Perhaps Jing Ke's primary objective was to capture Prince Dan alive and force him to sign a treaty to return the annexed lands, as a reward. However, he had a second plan: to kill King Zheng of Qin, throwing Qin into disarray and providing an opportunity for the other states to rise again.
Even if this second plan failed, he could not reveal his true purpose: to capture Prince Dan alive and force him to sign a treaty to return the annexed lands. This undoubtedly put Prince Dan of Yan to death and hastened the demise of the Yan state. Moreover, even if an assassin fails, he cannot reveal his employer's name; this is likely a code of conduct or professional ethics (like a prisoner whose work is driven by a moral obligation, but whose careless words lead to the annihilation of the remaining forces; or like the abruptness of "My dad is Li Gang"). How should we evaluate Jing Ke? Perhaps "brainless" is the best and most common interpretation.
As an assassin, Jing Ke violated the code of conduct. Of course, some might say that historical figures always have limitations. Furthermore, General Fan Yu's head and the map of Dukang in Yan are physical evidence. Faced with overwhelming evidence, even if Jing Ke hadn't said those words, the Yan state would still be implicated. Because Qin's unification of the six states was already a foregone conclusion.
Even if the State of Yan was implicated, and even if Yan was the first state Qin destroyed afterward, this is entirely different from Jing Ke's professional ethics. If Jing Ke had remained silent after his failure, while Yan might have inevitably met its end, Prince Dan of Yan might not have held him in any less respect. When Prince Dan learned of Jing Ke's words and faced the destruction of his state, what were his thoughts? I imagine he would have simply lamented: "I made a mistake in choosing him!"
As a warrior of Yan and Zhao, Jing Ke failed; as an assassin, he neglected his duty. Although Sima Qian included him in the "Biographies of Assassins" in the *Records of the Grand Historian*, in my view, Jing Ke should have left posterity with unparalleled achievements or the glory of dying on the battlefield, not the tragic song of an assassin.
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