War of Magicians

The Birth of the Phoenix

Chapter 3

There was a section of the garden that had many trees, most of them weeping willows because the present Emperor Li liked them. The concubines liked lilies, so there was also a section of lilies in the garden. Towards the north were peonies, rows and rows of them lined in bushes, tall and wide. Princess, or rather Lady Meiling, as Yue was corrected, though most simply call her princess because she lived with the princes, could often be seen alone with those peonies.

The young lady also had a dog, a rather small one, more of a puppy than anything, who she recently received as a gift from one of the members of the Cabinet. It was like a wolf pup, with tall ears and black fur coat with white fur underneath. It also had blue eyes, an interesting color, and small, delicate feet. It used to bound around in the gardens chasing butterflies and bees, though it always runs away from the latter sometime later.

Not the most intelligent creature.

Sometime later Yue met the Crowned Prince. Julan was very interested in the workings of the western world, but he wasn't particularly interested in learning any more than Yue told him. Sometime later the child had muttered something about " the country will fall to its doom", or " the government will collapse someday", but he figured it was all part of the prince's queerness and unnerving intelligence.

Yue actually met Xiao Lang in the courtyard for horses. The Emperor had a special horse called the Blood-Sweat Horse. It's character was its name-the sweat of the horse was red, the color of blood. It's a mighty fast and wild-tempered horse, and its species was rare.

The prince was riding on the horse. The horse was trying to have a free head, but the prince was not giving him that. Watching the child, so small, on such a great beast made Yue feel afraid.

" Yi!" The child soothed the horse, stopping it. He looked over at the guardian.
" Why stand there?" He asked good-naturedly. Yue concluded the boy was in a good mood. " Awed, are you, by the steed?" The child patted the steed's neck. " Quite a jade, if it doesn't like the master, but when a child sits on it, it really is quite gentle."

Gentle?

" I hardly call bucking gentle," Yue said without humor. " It would not do the country good for their crowned prince to die by breaking his neck."

The child laughed at that comment. " You are a witty fellow, eh?" He turned the horse's head. " No, it would not do the country good. But the horse is mine. I ride him all the time. If I were lying on the ground he will not step on me. Come, pet him. I promise in the name of heaven he will not hurt you. After all, you are my father's most favorite advisor now."

Yue hesitated. It was true. After giving some advice from a foreigner's point of view, good advice, as he assumed, the Emperor had taken a liking to him. The prince hardly met him, so Yue wasn't too comfortable, but the horse seemed to be encouraging him.

The nose was soft and warm. Yue looked up at the prince, who had an amused smile on his face. The prince pulled the horse's head back.

" Very impatient, this one." Xiao Lang patted the horse's mane. " Too long, and he'll start rearing. I'll see you later. Jia!"

The horse trotted steadily away from Yue. Yue glanced after the child. It was said that mighty horses like mighty men, and they liked affectionate masters as well. That horse could kill the child by flinging him off its back.

The boy disappeared.



The concubines each lived in their own quarters and houses, because Chang'an was a giant place. Most of them were either servants that the Emperor liked and rewarded, or gifts from nearby kingdoms. So far there were twenty concubines, though not all of them gave the Emperor a child.

It wasn't that bad. It was the Emperor's duty to produce as many heirs as he could, 'just in case'. The foolish women would do anything to be by the Emperor's side, and this brought great fortune to their families. Most of the time. Though it was not common, of course, that the ladies would fight amongst each other for the Emperor's attention-something the wiser ones avoided by not marrying the Emperor at all.

The Crowned Prince, though the smartest of all the children, was not the oldest, as may be expected. The oldest son of the Emperor was fifteen years old and was the son of the fourth concubine, not because the Emperor neglected the Empress, but because there were many miscarriages. All of the Empress's previous children were female, and all died when they were one year of age. The first prince was named Liu Yujin, or Liu Lin. He was, quite unfortunately, a little degraded in the head, and had not the second oldest son, Liu Xuan, been born, Li would probably have been most devastated.

Because of his unfortunate condition, Prince Lin was also very trustworthy. The mental state of his mind was balanced with his silence. Indeed, even if he had spoken at all, no one would understand him save his milk-mother, so even lords were at ease with him.

However, what Yue found interesting was that this idiot, this oaf of a prince, did not like Yue, and seemed to be especially fond of the young Crowned Prince. The third time Yue saw Syaoran, the oldest prince was with him, and at the sight of the guardian the teenager drew the younger one behind him and gave Yue the fiercest and truest glare Yue had ever been subject to in his life.

It made him sad, because this particular boy had magic as well. Perhaps this child had unpleasant encounters with sorcerers? Yue did not know. But it was obvious that this idiot prince had sensed something about Yue that made him different from others. It was odd, almost, having that poor boy protect the child. Any fool could have outwitted him.

Yue stayed away from the First Prince. Not because he was afraid of him, but because the First Prince was so pathetic he had no choice.



" It's a really strange family, the Liu's." Kerberus mumbled as he took Yue's share of roast pork. " They have a thirty year old guy for an Emperor who had sixteen children already, with twenty wives, a mentally handicapped first prince and a physically handicapped fourth. The youngest prince happened to be the smartest one, and he's the heir. The old grandma-Empress wants the Emperor dead. His brothers keep trying to humiliate him. What is the world coming to?"
" The world is going nowhere as of now." Yue answered. " Of course, back in our country the world is falling apart. Here everything seems alright, at least with the rest of the country. The politicians were always strange."
" Charming. That Crowned Prince looks like such a sweet child. It would be a pity if he grew up to be like one of those nasty lords."
" Would be a pity indeed. He's too smart to remain innocent for long. I can see it all now-the child will sit at the throne someday, the wheels of his mind turning, pondering on this and musing on that. He'll think himself to death."

" Ri De Xian Sheng!" a eunuch hurried in. " His Highness the Crowned Prince wishes you to go to his chambers now."

Yue paused, wondering if the eunuch thought it strange that a lion was at the couch, or maybe he didn't notice Kerberus. Kerberus wasn't moving, after all.

" Tell him I will come at once." Yue said quietly.
" Yes Master Ri De." The servant bowed. Yue sighed. He had been called Ri Di Yue, Ri De Yue, Rei De Yue. No one really knew what his name was because " Reed" was not easily pronounced in Chinese.



Why did the Crowned Prince call him over?

To play a board game.

It happened to be their favorite pasttime, Wei Chi. The Chinese, the noble ones anyway, could often be found playing the game with their guests while discussing random matters, sometimes gossiping, sometimes political issues.

The prince was bored.

" In truth, my teacher has not been here for many days, for he is home sick." Julan answered Yue's cocked eyebrow. " There is really nothing much to do here other than idle games. Come, talk to me as we play. I suppose there is more to tell of your country."

Yue pulled the chair and sat down.

" White stones or black?" Julan asked.
" I'm afraid I'm not an expert at this game."
" Your country does not have this game." Julan paused. It was a statement, not a question. " However, I suppose your country is not so far advanced as to not have some sort of pasttime we can cope with."

Yue thought about the board game that Clow Reed use to play with him.

" As a matter of fact, I do." Yue answered. Julan cocked an eyebrow at the word " I" but said nothing. Yue continued. " It's similar to yours. We use a wooden board with wooden figures. However, we don't call it Weichi."
" What is it called? I would like to learn it."
" It is called ' Chess'."



Julan learned fast, but he wasn't able to beat Yue that easily. At first they played with relative silence, save for the prince asking questions about the game. Then, as the child understood more of it, the tension eased.

" I apologize for the behavior of my older brother the other day." Julan said solemnly. " He usually isn't so protective. Though his mind is slow, he has good instincts. I doubt he sensed evil in you, just relative power, or perhaps he was slightly jealous of you."

Yue paused. " He's a good boy with a kind heart."
" Most idiots are." Julan said, his eyes pained. " He is lucky to be a fool. When the lords rebel, he will be the last one they kill, if they ever kill him at all. Even Second Royal Brother is liable to be murdered."
" You will be the first."
" Aye."
" But why such thoughts?" Yue asked, suddenly getting a strong sense that this child has a severe case of melancholia. " You are young, and your father is healthy. As long as he is in control, you are protected."

Julan smiled at him. " You think I am insane. Depressed. Very well then. If in your country, the government is just and kind, then your country is the Heaven that dead spirits venture to. Here, our family is different." Julan sat back. " Have you ever heard stories of princes who wish to be normal peasants?"
" I find it rather unrealistic."
" It is uncommon, however it's very much real. Have you ever wondered why?"

Yue paused. " They want to be normal."
" Exactly." Yue thought Julan was too smart to need advisors. " Here the princes and princesses do not even feed off the milk of their mothers. They feed of the milk of some woman who had a child at that time. Lord knows what the real mothers do with their milk. But the whole outcome is that mother and child are no longer as close. Centuries ago there was the fifth Emperor of the Han Dynasty, his name was Liu Che, like my brother. He was passed down as Han Wu Di, the War Emperor of the Han. It was said that he was a good Emperor, lived until he was sixty or so. But his grandmother, his grandmother, oh what a character she was! She was strong in politics and was very ambitious. When Han Wudi was to become Emperor she tried to have him assasinated so her other son could be Emperor and she could remain in power. That failed, of course, and she tried to steal Han Wudi's power. His uncles hated him. His mother was a fool. The royal family is worked on distrust and intelligence. If you're weak and idiotic, like my First Royal Brother, you're lucky, because you are safe to adore. Me, aye, they will never truly love. You can't love when you're the Son of Heaven. You have to be able to torture without gnashing your teeth in empathy. You have to be able to kill without flinching. Kill innocent people, even, simply to save the rest of mankind. That is why princes want to become peasants."

Yue found it odd that this child was so different from the one he first met. Perhaps the child was sick. He's far to young to think such dismal thoughts. Somewhere deep inside him shattered as he watched the boy.

" I dream," The child said suddenly, " That the world under the sky will be in a state of chaos, and I will die with you by my side."

A premonition! Yue paused. " When?" He asked.
" Years from today." The prince had a dazed look. " The sky would be red from the burning of Loyang. The eunuchs would rise and kill those they hate. It is near the end of the Han, Yue.

The eunuchs will choose the Emperor they deem incompetent. Each passing year the emperor will grow younger, and each one will be killed. Until at last, when one dies and leaves two sons, the lords will rise against each other, and so will come from normal civilians, many heroes of their day, and they will fight for the throne, fight for the Han, but it would be too late. Until at last the country will be divided into three kingdoms, and the battles will rage on until one man unites them all to form a new dynasty."

Yue moved his bishop. " What do you make of this dream?"
" You are the prophet, Master Yue. What do you think?"

Yue was silent.

" You think it will come to pass." The prince regarded him with young eyes full of wisdom.

Yue remained silent.

Julan moved his last knight. He killed the bishop. " My servants say that you have a lion in your quarters." The prince grinned. " And they heard you talking with a stranger. No doubt this lion is also some kind of magical creature?"

The question caught Yue by surprise. Of course that stupid eunuch saw Kero.

" He's..."
" Lately I've been having other dreams." Julan continued. " Ones that are not so melancholic. Really lighthearted, actually. They involve this man,"

There was a long pause as the prince considered his situation on the chessboard.

" He wore odd things over his eyes. Occasionally I heard the word ' spectacles'. Are those what they called?"

It was odd, because the prince did not say the word in Chinese, but he bore no accent when he spoke it.

" I suppose." Yue answered. " It depends on who this man was."
" I think you know him." Julan answered. " My dreams were always prophetic, and you and a strange lion were major characters. In addition, of course, to a red-headed girl and a black panther with butterfly wings-a truly ridiculous combination."

Yue ignored the insult to his fellow guardian. " Who was this man?"
" He called-well, you called him ' Master Reed'." Again, Julan spoke without an accent. " I believe he introduced himself as Clow Reed to another one similar to him. The lion was named Ker something and the girl was named Ruby."

Yue moved his pawn. " What do you make of it?"
" I think there's something you're not telling me." The prince answered. He held out his right hand. " The cards?"



Everyday the Emperor has a meeting with the lords of the cabinet. They live either near or in Chang'an, because it's extremely convenient there. The lords from the rest of the country will send news and issues by messenger to one or other of the members of the cabinet, who would in turn, present such worries to the Emperor.

The method was effective, actually, because though all lords were selfish and greedy they weren't greedy to the point of neglecting messages, and the Emperor was strong. The lords were never late-unless they were really sick, and the Emperor rarely was absent unless he, too, was sick.

In any case, such meetings were important, even if they were ritualistic, and normally don't involve children. So the Crowned Prince Liu Julan was extremely surprised when his father popped up in front of his chambers that morning, telling him he planned to take him to the meeting.

Julan didn't protest that much. He was actually very excited. He dressed his best and was able to sit right behind his father during the court.

Meiling's dog, unfortunately, wasn't quite so cooperative, and somehow ended up in the middle of the room that day, barking at the more elderly lord. Half of the lords wanted to slay and eat it for lunch, because pretty much everyone in the court was really annoyed at it, except for Meiling and perhaps Julan.

The dog was finally gotten rid of, and the court resumed to end later than usual because of the unexpected interruption. The next day the dog was served for the elderly lord to dine on.



Meiling cried in Che'er's chambers for over two hours. Yue knew this because Kero, resolving to staying small, had gone over especially to spy on her.

" She'll be fine. She'll get over it like any child would."
" I can't believe they ate the dog." Yue shook his head. " That creature was just stupid, nothing more."
" The Chinese, you know, weren't really fond of dogs." Kero pointed out. " Dogs never served them loyally like they did back home. And that dog was the worst example of all canines. It's natural that, if you can't use a dog, you might as well eat it."

Yue did not find the statement humorous.

" It's a good thing the prince didn't decide to use the cards or keep them."
" He's a kind-hearted lad."
" Smart too. It's hard to be both kind-hearted and smart when you're spoiled in the royal family."
" He hardly is spoiled. I think the boy has depression. He's so melancholic."
" I wouldn't be surprised, judging from the fact that his oldest brother's an idiot. Considering that the Emperor often marries his cousin, genetic diseases ought to be fairly common."
" I doubt they know though. They're far too religious for that."
" So are the people back home."
" So are the people back home."

There was a long silence.

" The child is powerful." Kero said to Yue. " I think we should help him. He could easily fall to darkness like this, without help, without support."

Yue paused. " I want to help him." He answered. " In other ways too. Somehow he reminds me of Master Clow. And whatever other characteristics he may have, he still has an innocent aura about him. And such courage when facing his death..."

Yue was lost in thought, but it did not matter because Kero did not answer.