When Lu Zheng woke up, he had become a Jie slave in a cage wagon, waiting to die.
His wrists and ankles were shackled, and a wooden cangue was locked around his neck. He was being hauled away for sale like livestock.
The escort officer said this batch would fetch a good price.
Lu Zheng looked at the man's face, then at the loose rivet. He said nothing.
That night, he escaped.
He was with four other Jie who had escaped alongside him: five men, five horses, and two blades.
Later, someone asked him how a slave with no soldiers, land, or power had managed to conquer half the realm.
Lu Zheng thought for a moment.
"I never wanted to conquer the realm in the first place. People kept chasing me and trying to kill me. I ran and ran, and eventually I realized nobody behind me could keep up."
