Meng Wu and Chu Zi, also known as Mou Bu and So Shi, is the fourth of the first four-side story one-shots written by Yasuhisa Hara before he began the official story for ‘’Kingdom’’. It was collected alongside "Li Mu and Hai Yin" in the second volume of the Kingdom Omnibus books.
It is about Meng Wu/Mou Bu and his childhood friend Chu Zi/Shou Hei Kun and how they grew up together. A one shot situated in ancient China, around the Spring and Autumn period. The two childhood friends meet on the battlefield, reminiscing their past before the final battle.
Summary[]
In the prelude of battle against Chu, Mou Bu faces the last king of Chu, Chu Zi, as the two armies take up positions. Conflicted due to their friendship, he loudly asks him why he betrayed Qin to join Chu and if Chu Zi had broken their promise. The story then goes years back into the past. Many years ago, Mou Bu went on challenging anyone who can beat his strength in the capital, until a boy accepts it and beats him before taking the money. He later met the boy on his own home after being dragged by his family to a welcoming party for a delegation from Chu. He was initially shocked when he learnt that the boy is one of Chu's princes and was exchanged as hostage to Qin. Later, the Qin hostage in Chu was adopted by one of the Chu princesses and Chu Zi is abandoned. In despair, Chu Zi later tried to commit suicide, until Mou Bu went on to rescue him and told him that if Chu abandoned him, then they will make names of themselves on Qin. Before dragging him back up, they promise each other that they would work together to make their names famous in their world. Later, Mou Aki suggests that both of them should become friends.
Years later, both of them got their wishes, Mou Bu became a Great General, while Chu Zi went on to become Qin's Prime Minister and a stern tactician. The latter gives suggestions and advice to Ei Sei. Then one day, he was commanded by the King to formulate a strategy against Chu, which he accepted. While Mou Aki suspects that Chu Zi may be under great stress and urges Mou Bu to visit, Mou Bu claims they're too busy. He also states that they both trust each other to be in control and do not wish to see each other in cowardly situation. However, over the course of a few weeks, Chu Zi cannot formulate any invasion strategies as his blood ties subconsciously prevent him. A week later, he snapped and tries to find Mou Bu but is alone since Mou Bu left on a military campaign. Forlorn and in despair, Chu Zi resigns and left Qin with Mou Bu horrified at the news. When he returned to his home country, he initially lived there with a simple life as a farmer in the countryside rather than return to Chu's Royal Court. However, when Qin invades and captures the king, the few surviving Chu soldiers find him and forcefully beg him to take the crown and lead them.
The scenes then return to the modern day. Despite the Chu army being a mere fraction of Qin's soldiers, Chu Zi remains at the head of their rag tag formation. After reminiscing on the past, Chu Zi gives his answer to Meng Wu's question. He has kept his promise by achieving fame across China as Qin's greatest Prime Minister and is now about to die as the last ruler of Chu. Having seen his best friend one last time, he has no major regrets. Mou Bu urges him to returns to Qin, reinstated as Minister and with his sins forgiven, as the Qin King personally promised. But he answered that he will rather die as a proud royal of Chu than live on as a coward in Mou Bu's eyes. Before the parley ends, Chu Zi laments that his only regret was not talking to Mou Bu and drinking in the past, to which Mou Bu agrees. With tears on his eyes, Bu went on charging towards the Chu Zi's position as the latter gives the Chu survivors the order to charge against the encircling Qin army.
The story ends with an epitaph that Chu was conquered by Qin forced led by Ou Sen (Wang Jian) and Mou Bu while Chu Zi was killed in combat. The scene flashes back on the time where a younger Mou Aki called both of them to massage her while calling them her brothers.
Trivia[]
- This oneshot came after Li Mu and Hai Yin and preceded Chapter 1 in terms of release. Besides coming after Li Mu and Hai Yin, it also came after two other one-shots that were collected in the first volume of the Kingdom Omnibus; one called "Kongo (金刚)" being a pilot one-shot on Ri Shin, Ei Sei, and Ka Ryo Ten while the other called Horse and Liquor for 300 Soldiers being a oneshot on Qin King Boku Kou and the Horse & Liqueur Force.
- It was first published as a standalone one-shot in December 2004 inside Volume 1 of the 2005 edition of the Weekly Young Jump magazine. It was later published within Volume 2 of the Kingdom Omnibus in June 2012.
- The author calls this short story a spoiler for what's yet to come in the manga.
- Through out the chapter, Mou Bu refers to Shou Hei Kun by his title, Chu Zi/So Shi (English: Chu Prince), rather than by his personal name. While unusual, this may have been artistic license by the author as many individuals in the Warring States Era were publicly referred to by their honorific titles, ancestral names, clan names, or courtesy names first rather than their personal given names.
- Mou Bu has an elder sister here.
- Ei Sei was shown in here, as a middle-aged man.