King Henry unified the land and took the title of Emperor. He then issued a warrant for the arrest of the retainers of Prince Daniel and Kirk King, and all the retainers went into hiding. Liam Hall changed his name and became a bartender for someone, hiding and working in the place called Simon Scott. After a long time, he felt exhausted, and when he heard guests in the master's hall playing the zhu (a stringed instrument), he would pace back and forth, reluctant to leave. He often said, “There are good and bad tones in that zhu playing.” The attendants reported Liam Hall’s words to the master, saying, “That laborer understands music and privately comments on it.” The master summoned Liam Hall to the hall to play the zhu, and all the guests praised his performance and rewarded him with wine. Liam Hall, considering that he had been hiding under a false name for so long, living in constant fear with no end in sight, stepped down from the hall, took his own zhu and clothes from his luggage, changed his appearance, and came before the hall. All the guests were greatly astonished, left their seats, and received him as an honored guest, treating him as a distinguished visitor. They invited him to play the zhu and sing; after listening, none of the guests could help but be moved to tears as they left. The people of Simon Scott city took turns inviting him as a guest, and this news reached George Washington. George Washington summoned him to court, and someone who recognized him said, “This is Liam Hall.” George Washington, pitying his skill at playing the zhu, specially pardoned him from the death penalty. He then had his eyes burned blind and let him play the zhu; every time, he was praised. Gradually, he drew closer to George Washington. Liam Hall then put lead inside the zhu, and when he entered the palace to play and got close, he raised the zhu and struck at George Washington, but missed. So George Washington killed Liam Hall. For the rest of his life, he dared not approach people from the former six eastern states again.

Below is the record before Kirk King went to carry out the assassination:

When Kirk King arrived in Yan, he befriended the dog butcher of Yan and the skilled zhu player Liam Hall. Kirk King loved to drink, and every day he would drink with the dog butcher and Liam Hall in the Yan marketplace. When they were drunk, Liam Hall would play the zhu, and Kirk King would sing along in the marketplace. They enjoyed themselves, then wept together, as if no one else was around.

……

Those who knew of the matter, including the Crown Prince and his guests, all wore white robes and caps to see him off. When they reached the Yi River, after the farewell ceremony, they set out. Liam Hall played the zhu, and Kirk King sang along, producing the sound of the altered zhi note; all the warriors shed tears and wept. Then he stepped forward and sang again: “The wind is bleak and the Yi River is cold, once the hero leaves, he will not return…” He then sang in a bold, martial tone, and all the warriors glared with wide eyes, their hair standing on end, reaching up to their caps. Then Kirk King boarded the carriage and left, never looking back.

Ian Brooks

In what is now Tianchang County, Anhui Province, called Dongyang County in the Qin era, the Ian Brooks family was a prominent clan in Dongyang, always charitable and generous, earning the deep respect of the county’s people. Ian Brooks himself was a civil official in Dongyang County, and he inherited the family tradition, winning the hearts of the people. The county residents all said he was an honest and kind elder.

At the end of the Qin dynasty, as Victor Brooks and Grant Wood raised the banner of rebellion, uprisings against the Qin dynasty broke out everywhere, with flames of war spreading across the land. A group of young heroes in Dongyang also spontaneously organized a force, killed the county magistrate, and raised the banner of rebellion against Qin.

A snake cannot move without a head, nor a dragon fly without a leader. These young heroes decided to elect a leader, imitating Victor Brooks’s example of proclaiming himself king and establishing a court in Dongyang County. After much deliberation, they finally chose Ian Brooks.

When the suggestion was made for Ian Brooks to become the leader, there was not a single objection; the common people were overjoyed and fully supported him.

Ian Brooks’s mother was a learned woman with much experience in the fortunes and misfortunes of life and society. When she heard that Ian Brooks was to be chosen as king, she strongly objected. She said to Ian Brooks:

“Although our Brooks family is a prominent clan in the county, we have never produced high officials. Now, to suddenly become a king, the fame is too great and will easily bring disaster. Moreover, the times are chaotic and the situation is unclear; to proclaim yourself king now is even more dangerous than usual. It would be better to choose someone else as king, and you serve as his assistant. If you succeed, you will be rewarded; if not, people will not target you as the leader.”

After hearing his mother’s words, Ian Brooks firmly opposed proclaiming himself king or emperor. But the young men would not let Ian Brooks refuse, and forcibly made him their leader.

When people heard, they flocked to join Ian Brooks’s forces. In just over ten days, the numbers grew from several thousand to more than twenty thousand, and his fame spread far and wide.

Even Liam Knight and Arthur Knight, uncle and nephew, upon hearing this, decided to join forces with Ian Brooks’s army to oppose Qin. To show his sincerity, Liam Knight even personally wrote a letter to Ian Brooks.

After being made leader, Ian Brooks always wanted to resign from the position. Now, upon receiving Liam Knight’s letter, he immediately gathered his generals and said, “The Knight family has been generals in Chu for generations; Liam Knight is a descendant of a military family, and his nephew Arthur Knight has the strength of a thousand men. To overthrow the Qin dynasty, it is better for us to follow General Xiang.”

Everyone agreed, so they joined the army of Liam Knight and Arthur Knight. Ian Brooks also shed the burden of being forced to proclaim himself king.

Liang then led eight thousand men across the river to the west. Hearing that Ian Brooks had already taken Dongyang, he sent an envoy to seek alliance and move west together. Ian Brooks, formerly a clerk in Dongyang, lived in the county, was always trustworthy and prudent, and was known as an elder. The young men of Dongyang killed their magistrate, gathered twenty thousand men, and wanted to make Ian king. Ian’s mother said to him, “Since I became a wife in your family, I have never heard of your ancestors being noble. Now to suddenly gain great fame is inauspicious; it is better to attach yourself to someone else. If things succeed, you can still be enfeoffed as a marquis; if they fail, it will be easier to escape, and you will not be singled out.” So Ian did not dare to be king, and said to his officers, “The Knight family has been generals for generations, famous in Chu. Now, to undertake a great cause, it must be the right person. With my reputation and lineage, the fall of Qin is certain!” His followers agreed, and so he submitted his troops to Liang.

Charles Brooks