.
Chapter 4 – Into the Battlefield
On their way to the battlefield
.
On their way to the battlefield, Sakaki explains about what they needed to know about Kai Empire's state or if there's something they want to know. Yun gives the question first, asking about Sakura family.
Sakura family is the five biggest and strongest family clan that fulfilled by warriors from Kai Empire that independent and aren't tied with Southern Kai or Northern Kai even after Kai Empire has fallen and been divided.
Sakura family which divided into five clan, the biggest and strongest family clan alliance that created by the late Empress Shoka, last Empress of former Kai Empire who lived on two generation from their generation, the same generation with King Joo Nam.
First, Yukimura clan that claimed as the strongest clan, also known as the Tiger of Snow Fortress with Byakko as their family's symbol, former Nomads Clan who have domiciled on the Northeast mountain near Jin Zui Lake at the border to protect the border from outsider. Their territory known as rough place, the coldest mountain and hill.
Second, Karasuma clan, former Nomads Clan like Yukimura clan, also known as 'the Raven from the Underworld' because their ability as 'shadow man' to seek for information and move freely under the shadow like on the back alley or sort of the 'dark' place's type.
Third, Kanan clan, family clan that fulfilled by candidate or seed of government official, councilor or soldier, also believed as the recorder clan about history of Kai Empire and equitable judge from generation to generation which explain why they have Griffin as their family's symbol due to their family's intelligent and high majesty.
Fourth, Yuuda clan, usually people from this clan will join the military as soldier, that's why they are also known as 'War Horse' with Pegasus as their family's symbol.
Fifth, Gozen clan, as their family's symbol they have Kirin, Holy Beast that kind but also can be ruthless and terrifying when threatened. People says Kirin only appears on the places where the good and wise Emperor hold the power. Gozen clan have close relationship with Royal Family since ancient time and they usually have the role as priest / priestess on the Empire.
Between five clan, only Gozen clan that have the tradition to make woman as their leader and it makes their head clan always woman from generation to generation. They're dominated by woman but not ordinary woman because they are trained to become priestess or warrior. At least, they should learn martial arts so they know about how to protect themselves without depend on other people.
It makes Yona mumbles unconsciously "so cool… I want to grow like that".
Sakaki snickers before continue his explanation. At first, only two powers to rule within Kai Empire, Nomads and Royal Family. But soon, third party is created to become 'peacemaker' or 'Mediator' between Nomads and Kai Empire due to its neutrality, known as 'Clan'. So, there is three powers who have the right to rule within Kai Empire. Nomads, Royal Family and Clan.
Right now, authorization to rule Empire is owned by Royal Family. Nomads and Clan within Kai Empire have the same position but Clan is independent, they can choose to where they will stand, be it Nomads, Empire (government or military), or even citizen.
They know Northern Kai Empire is in chaos due to our civil war. Actually, civil war has been started ever since more or less about barely two decades ago, but it only started by little rebellion in several different places which can be pressured or extinguished thanks to military clan.
Tsubaki points the circles that she drawn on the ground "the main problem is, now Royal family is weakened while family of military clan expand their power, not to mention Nomads also has divided into two where one fraction belongs to Yin Quelbo and his mans who against Empire, the Contra one and other fraction is Pro one, it belongs to Aruma Igarashi who willingly to obey and follow the Empress, Lady Fong Mulan, my adopted mother".
Yona and the others have known about it already, the problem is, why Northern Kai Empire's Royal family become weakened? Sakaki answers, it's because the Emperor himself is weak, he would only stay still, do nothing and obey the clan or the military and bureaucracy while the Empress, his wife, Fong Mulan is tough warrior woman that originally from Gozen clan, but also claimed as Yukimura clan member after her marriage with Hakuya Yukimura. She doesn't too fond of the matters with Royal family within the castle. It doesn't mean she's ignorant but she realizes that her position within castle as Emperor's wife is weak, that's why she sometimes leaves the castle along with the princesses, usually to wander outside the castle to extinguish the rebellion, appease every problems or ruckus in different places and nurture its place back till they recover which make her figure with the princesses outside the castle heightened. Not only to gain the power and trust from her people, but also because she truly wants to help her people.
Sakaki explains further about identity of the princesses, all of them adopted by Northern Kai Empress "Lady Mulan has three adopted daughter which technically become our Northern Kai's princesses. First princess is Lady Tomoe Gozen, the head of Gozen clan right now. Second princess is here, the former Nomads, Lady Tsubaki Yukie who always annoyed when it comes to her new status as the princess".
Tsubaki whines about how she hates every stiff treatment within the castle, she has received Mulan's offer to come with her as her family not because she wants to become princess, after all. Sakaki explains that Mulan finds Tsubaki as the only survivor in one of Nomads' burning encampment due to civil war and Mulan always like that, she simply can't abandon orphan so she adopted her if she wouldn't able to find family or house to her.
"besides, princess Tsubaki really close with her and always wants to make Lady Mulan to be proud of her after that, so it doesn't matter".
Tsubaki blushes "shut up, Old Man?!".
Ignores her, Sakaki wants to continue when Yun lifts her hand, asking "how can Nomads like Lady Tsubaki be adopted by the Empress? I mean, forgive my rudeness, but is it alright to her and the Empress considering her background as former Nomads?".
"um…", Tsubaki taps her finger on her lips, contemplating how to answer "speaking about our background, genius boy… actually, the four of us, me, with my sisters and our adopted mother also have complicated background. Especially my adopted mother and my youngest sister. Even if she is the youngest of us, she is the one who has spent the longest time with our adopted mother. Mother adopted Tomoe not long after married with Emperor about two years ago on the Autumn, and I were adopted the latest on the Winter in the same year, so you can say I haven't used with treatment within the castle also due to that reason".
Yun blushes at her words for calling him genius and Sakaki explains further "okay, like Lady Tsubaki has mentioned before, our Empress and the youngest princess have complicated background. The youngest Northern Kai princess, she's only a year above you, princess Yona… but she has complicated past like our Empress because like we have explained, she is not only adopted daughter of Northern Kai Empress, she is also the biological daughter of Southern Kai Emperor, Emperor Kou Koryu with his late Empress, Lady Setsura. Lady Setsura is half-Kouka and half-Kai, her mother is Lady Shoka and her father from Kouka".
Yun narrows his eyes "and her father from Kouka is Elder Son Mundok from Wind Tribe?".
Sakaki and Zeno nod their head in unison "yup".
They are groaning, conflicted by the fact that Zeno knows but tells nothing as usual and the fact is too much to handle right now. This information is enough to make a chaos within Kai Empire and Kouka Kingdom.
"the reason of why we never talked about it, because even if only one fourth of her blood is Kouka, there's always someone who will talk bad about her at the first time she was brought to Southern Kai Empire".
Something clicks within Hak's head but Yona voices it first to Sakaki "you said she was brought to Southern Kai Empire? but what make her must stay in Kouka and lived on Fuuga with Mundok?".
Without hiding anything from them, Sakaki answers that the youngest princess, Setsuna, all along this time till about two years ago, had been lived on Kouka with Mundok after Lady Setsura died when given birth her 17 years ago. Kou Koryu, her own father has abandoned her because that man blaming Setsuna's birth as the cause of her mother's death. He has sentenced his own daughter to death with asking his subordinates to throw away Setsuna who still baby to cliff or somewhere to kill her. Kou Koryu's subordinates who ordered by him to kill princess Setsuna are Fong Mulan with her first husband, the late Hakuya Yukimura.
Kija interrupts "wait, the late first husband?".
Tsubaki nods "Lord Hakuya was my mother's first husband and Northern Kai's Emperor was her third husband".
They yell in unison, except Zeno and ever-silent Shina "THIRD?!".
Tsubaki explains that Mulan has ever married third time. She lost Hakuya Yukimura, her first husband who passed away about 17 years ago in the battlefield. Her second husband is Kou Koryu, Southern Kai's Emperor, she has divorced with him after winning Setsuna's custody on the Empire's judgment. Her third husband, Dal, Northern Kai's Emperor who far younger than her, she has started her affair with him as a spouse in order to winning Setsuna's custody and officially married with him after she divorced with Kou Koryu which technically makes her installed as Northern Kai's Empress.
Unfortunately, even with her title as Northern Kai's Empress, she only has the role as spouse, not as a ruler by her husband's side. Tsubaki tells that Northern Kai Emperor, Dal passed away not long ago due to poisoned. Before died, he has asked Mulan to rule so Mulan is going to be installed as First Northern Kai Empress, the sole ruler within Northern Kai Empire. The problem is, bureaucracies and councils within the castle don't expect her, a woman to rule.
"actually, they only afraid of her because Lady Mulan has gained approval from military and other 'power' outside the castle like citizens, mostly Nomads except Yin Quelbo fraction, and clans within Sakura family".
"that's why we need to calm down all of rebellion within Northern Kai as soon as possible to gain approval not only from military family clans other than clans within Sakura Family who haven't given their approval yet, also to silence the bureaucracies and councils within the castle. We just need to claim Sen province back to us before we settle the coronation next month".
Yun rubs his chin "hm… it makes a sense, but Lady Mulan doesn't have intention to marry again with someone after this?".
His question invites Tsubaki's disgusting face and Sakaki's scowl.
Tsubaki lifts her hand "I prefer my mother does not married again, if she doesn't love that man or she only will suffer".
"her second husband, Kou Koryu is cruel and merciless tyrant within their family, he is good Emperor but he is the worst husband and father. Her third husband, Dal is weak. I can tell for sure Mulan never loves them both. The one and only man that Mulan loves until now only her first husband, Hakuya Yukimura", Sakaki shrugs and convinces them before back to the explanation "back to the business, at that time I was asked by Hakuya to send his message to Fuuga and I've received his request since he was my childhood, closest and best friend—".
"—and Lady Mulan is your First Love, right?", Zeno laughs which earned smack on the head from Sakaki.
"that's when I met him on the border so when Zeno was bringing Elder Mundok to meeting place, I picked up Lady Mulan and Hakuya who brought baby princess to the border", Sakaki lifts his thumb to Zeno who grins before clasping his hands in front of his face "okay, that's what I can tell you all for now".
When Yona asks about the reason why Kai Empire has fallen and divided into two, Sakaki as the witnesses of the history of his Empire who still live, of course know but it's too long for him to explained so he skips that question.
Hak remarks about why Setsuna was brought back to Kai Empire if from the first place Kou Koryu, her father has abandoned her, even tried to killed her? Yona and the others can feel his tense, but no one in their group dare to disturb on-the-verge-enraged-Thunder Beast about 'Setsuna' especially after the revelation that Setsuna is still alive.
"about why and how Setsuna was brought to Southern Kai Empire, without considering about her feeling or her volition, just ask her and my mother. We know about what happened but only them who have the right to tell that story or not", Tsubaki glares to Yona and Hak before standing and pulling her sword from its case "for now, we have the battlefield in front of us".