-The End of the Mandate-
"蒼天已死 - The Heavens have Perished，
黃天當立 - The Yellow Sky shall rise."
-First two Stanzas of the Yellow Scarf Rebellion during the later Han (three kingdoms) period
Note: A sketch of the characters can be found at (remove spaces) ht tp : / / thejimmierustler . deviantart . com / art / F-ZE-Chinese-Federation-Characters-296050351
I'm not the best of artists, so pardon. Some other pieces of art that I drew can be found on HeavyValor's page.
January 23rd, 2009 A.T.B., First Day of the First Month [1]
Luoyang, the Vermillion Forbidden City
Chinese Empire, Chinese Federation
Chinese New Year easily dwarfs the farce of a spectacle those who abide by the Britannian or European calendars call the New Year. Dwarfed by Christmas in Europe and St. Darwin's Day in February in Britannia, the silly events that follow the solar New Years in the West are small festivals compared to the Fifteen days of the Chinese New Year.
The Lunar New Year is the only time for many workers to return to their hometowns, meet with their families, and relax from a year of labor.
And with this big break comes the biggest celebration of the Far East.
The streets of the capital were filled with the bursts of firecrackers, the clanging of cymbals and gongs, the buzzing, joyous klaxon of countless guan (a type of oboe made of wood or bamboo. The word literally means Pipes) and the whistling melodies of flutes.
Eager for the extra revenue, every inn, restaurant, tea houses and brothel was filled with shopowners lauding their wares. Though there were no skyscrapers in the imperial city, the distant gleaming skyscrapers in nearby cities also gleamed with festive red and gold.
Cars and trucks were clearly going nowhere—the streets were choked with countless parades and dramas, from fighting rings to traditional lion dances to what would be equivalent to western circuses. Chinese philosophers, Tibetan mystics, Vietnamese Artisans, Korean researchers, Indian scientists, Thai Businessmen and Tajik prospectors haggled, argued and debated verbally in teahouses and physically in bars.
Men and women in both traditional Hanfu and more modern attire paraded through the streets, relaxing for the first time in months.
Nobody noticed the men in longcoats and hats who seemed to wander aimlessly.
Nobody noticed the glints of black metal that flashed from some of the store stalls.
Nobody noticed the battle that was soon to unfold.
Within the vast walls of the Vermillion Forbidden City, a festival was going on too. Lords, Civil Officials, Military Officals, Eunuchs and Scholars congratulated each other for getting through another year.
In this swirling crowd of robes and suits, it was far too easy to lose a four year old girl, Li Xingke decided grimly.
"Your highness! Your highness!"
At fifteen, Xingke was fairly tall for his age, with a face that most people would consider handsome concealed behind shoulder-length hair. The ceremonial Jian he wore at his side still seemed a little large. With difficulty, he managed to spot a flash of white hair. Excusing himself as he elbowed through the crowd, he finally managed to get close enough to the petite little girl that was the 37th Princess of China.
Princess Jiang Lihua was tiny, even for her age. Her most striking feature was her red eyes and white hair, the hallmarks of albinism. In Chinese culture, where white is the color of death, albinism is treated with fear and ostracism. The relatively faded look of the youngest princess' (nevertheless luxurious) clothes showed her social status among the countless children that came out of the Imperial Harem.
The princess's eyes immediately lit up as Xingke came into view, and she ran (rather, waddled in her rather large robe) towards Xingke.
"Xingke, there are so many people here!"
Xingke smiled warmly. "Yeah…it's the same outside."
The Princess' eyes widened as she tugged on Xingke's robe. "The outside? What are they doing outside? Tell me!"
Xingke felt a tug of guilt. Like most other princes and princesses raised in the Vermillion City, Jiang Lihua had never stepped outside of the city's walls. For her, what people such as Xingke saw as something trivial was something amazing, something as inaccessible as the Forbidden City for those who had never entered.
"They're celebrating the New Year too," Xingke explained. "Every year, they hold parades that go from the gates to the Imperial Square. There are vendors selling cheap foods or toys for children, and there are displays on street corners too."
At this point, the Princess' eyes were as wide as saucers from wonder, and she was almost leaping up and down in excitement.
"I want to go to a parade or buy food from the vendors!"
Xingke smiled ruefully. "Your highness, I'm sure the food from the vendors is inferior to what you eat everyday. And you have dancers everyday at meals—"
"But the dancers are always doing the same thing, and the food is boring! I want to be in a parade!"
Xingke sighed. "I wish I could show you too. Maybe someday I will." He wasn't sure that the second part was true—it was already too much that he was the caretaker of a princess, even if it was a minor one like Lihua.
"But I want to go now!" the Princess didn't seem to be blaming Xingke, but her frustration was apparent.
Xingke looked away.
Why didn't they teach me how to deal with this?
When he had been adopted into the Imperial Guard Corps, he had found out how to fight, how to kill a man, how to use any weapon or shoot someone with a gun. Somehow, they hadn't taught him how to make the tiny princess happy.
Jiang Lihua was not even that much of a hassle compared to the other princes and princesses. She trusted Xingke and wasn't as rude to a commoner such as himself. But when she was sad, Xingke often had no idea how to cheer her up.
"Maybe another day?"
"But I want to see I want to see I want to see—"
"The balcony should be open today."
Xingke and the Princess both stopped and turned around as they heard a voice behind them—and then Xingke quickly bowed.
"Your Highness, I apologize for my rudeness!"
The Chinese were the first to come up with the concept of Civil Service Exams, and most of the bureaucratic positions of the Chinese Government were traditionally delegated to the top-scoring taker of a civil service exam. That third Prince Jiang Weilin managed to obtain the title through the civil service was a testament to his talent. Handsome, skilled in combat and a charismatic diplomat, he had always been Xingke's role model—and now his role model was smiling at him.
"Enough, enough with the formalities, it's the new year's." With a casual grin, the third prince put a hand on the princess's white head.
"And my dear sister seems to want to watch the parade."
The two royals and a bewildered Xingke walked through the crowd of dignitaries, Prince Weilin stopping every few moments to shake the hands of some diplomat or to engage in the traditional greeting (a hand wrapped around a fist, held at a 90 degree straight line to the body). The Imperial guard stood aside as they had never done with the Princess alone. Finally, they found themselves at a balcony overlooking the square below.
"Here we are!" With a smile, Prince Weilin lifted the princess over the railings to watch the parade going on below.
Xingke looked around. There did not appear to be any guards nearby, and none of the crowd below seemed to see them—this balcony seemed relatively obscure.
Xingke took a glance at the princess—squinting to see each individual, she stared enviously at the crowd below as they cheered on two "tigers" fighting for a prize for their crews, a cabbage stuffed with money.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
It took Xingke a moment to realize that the Prince's question was aimed by him. Stiffening, Xingke nodded immediately.
"Yes, your highness."
The prince, though, didn't seem to be staring at the parade, but at the urban sprawl beyond.
"If only it was this beautiful outside of the imperial city."
Xingke said nothing. He knew that prosperity in many of the rural cities was dangerously low, but he didn't want to trip any verbal landmines.
The Prince seemed to be aware of Xingke's nervousness.
"What's your name, bodyguard?"
"Li Xingke, your highness."
"The Eunuchs. I'm talking about the Eunuchs, Li Xingke."
Xingke froze. That the Prime Minister would say something so brazen.
The Chinese court is divided into two sections—the Emperor's private life, in the Inner Court, and the Emperor's public life, in the Outer Court. The Outer Court is dominated by officials who have passed the Civil Service Exam—the traditional Mandarin Scholars, the Ministers, the Civil and Military Officials, all of whom have certifications.
The Inner Court, on the other hand, is dominated by the Harem and the Eunuchs who control the Harem. Eunuchs, posing no reproductive threat to the emperor's libido, maintained most of the Emperor's private life and arranged the harem.
The Outer Court generally holds the Eunuchs in contempt—while the Outer Court is made out of individuals who have distinguished themselves in exams, the only requirement to obtain a rank in the Inner Court is to, quite literally, have no balls.
Of course, there have been good Eunuchs. Zheng He, China's greatest explorer, was himself a Eunuch, and many Eunuchs have proved devotedly loyal to their charges. The loyal Eunuch represented the will of the Emperor and served as a counterbalance to the traditional Confucian Mandarin and a policy of isolationism that contributed to China's technological inferiority prior to the Japanese Invasion during the Second Pacific War.
But the general unstated opinion was that the current Eunuchs that controlled the palace did not fit into that role.
Prince Weilin sighed. "It's obvious, Li Xingke, that China has no Emperor. It only has its Eunuchs."
Oversexed, overfed and sick, the Yong'an Emperor had been confined in the Palace for most of his life, with only Eunuchs relaying his "orders" to the outer court.
"The Governors are rebelling. Our revenue is falling, there are civil wars going on, and all the Eunuchs do is build new palaces, amass more wealth."
The tone of anger in the prince's voice was unmistakable.
"Even as we speak, our forces are fighting a losing battle in Indochina without reinforcements, because the Imperial Army is in the Eunuchs' pockets. We buy expensive Britannia products instead of advancing our own production capacity because the Eunuchs receive kickbacks. Our army is underequipped, our commanders corrupt. And yet, we ministers simply sit back and drink, drink until we forget how weak we are."
Xingke could feel fear, even as he felt the same indignation. The Eunuchs were known for being paranoid. Why was this prince telling this to him?
The Prince turned to Xingke. "Li Xingke…if and when you are strong enough to make a difference, would you?"
Xingke nodded. "Yes. Yes I would."
The Prince smiled enigmatically as he glanced at the Princess, where she was watching the parade with a mix of amazement and wistfulness.
"My sister has a good protector."
Xingke felt pride well up inside him, and he smiled eagerly.
"You've always been my role model, your highness!"
Prince Weilin smiled. "That's reassuring. Should I fail, Li Xingke, I entrust my sister and the future of this country to you."
"Forgive my rudeness, your highness, but what—"
The Prince turned to leave—and turned around one more time. "Take my sister away from here. It's best she doesn't see what happens next."
And, suddenly, Li Xingke was aware of the men in suits that stood behind every pillar, behind the walls, waiting.
Noticing the Prince's departure, Princess Lihua turned around and smiled as she waved. "Bye, big brother Weilin!"
Prince Jiang Weilin grinned his enigmatic grin once more as he waved at the Princess—and then he was gone, the men in suits following him silently.
Xingke watched him go as the Princess continued to wave. What was he talking about?
One of the men in suits glanced at the Prince. "Your highness, what was that?"
Prince Jiang Weilin shrugged with a smile. "Just a little pep talk of sorts. For me. Are we ready?"
The man in the suit nodded. With a shrug, he removed the suit, revealing the bulletproof vest underneath. "As ready as ever, on your highness' mark."
The Prince smiled as he glanced at the men with him. Including those guarding the perimeter, they were only three hundred men—miniscule compared to the armies that had fought over china for generations before.
But three hundred was enough.
"Let's go. For the Emperor."
In front of the closed gates of the Vermillion Forbidden City, tourists, both from the Federation and beyond, posed next to red-armored imperial guards and took pictures of the many monuments donated by the rulers of the Federation's many client states. Federation tourists fought and tooth and claw with vendors as tourists from the EU and Britannia happily enjoyed the scenery, blissfully unaware of how much they had been overcharged for their Terra Cotta Soldier T-shirts[2]
Nobody noticed when the vendors of the carts closest to the gates walked away.
They did notice when a delivery truck near the gates suddenly revved into action. Skidding through a crowd of shocked tourist, the truck turned toward the gates and charged, like a bull in the ring.
The Imperial Guards could only react in shock as the truck slammed into gates—and then erupted into a conflagration of dirty black smoke and flames.
In the ringing silence, those who had not been knocked over stared at the gates. Those monolithic gates of the Forbidden City, forever blocking the machinations of the court from view, were now destroyed, bent and wrenched from their hinges. Beyond, the impeccably kept white marble and bright flowers of the eternally-green palace garden seemed to beckon.
The guards began picking themselves up from the ground, their ears ringing—just as they were beaten back to the ground by a group of men in long coats.
With shrugs, they removed their coats to reveal Green Chinese Army uniforms and light armor.
The Imperial Guards, dressed in red ceremonial armor, struggled to respond effectively—most of them were simply wielding ceremonial rifles and spears. Firing a few desperate shots, they retreated within the gates.
Those who were not already fleeing the scene stared at the battle unfolding before them.
The Imperial Guard against the Imperial Army—there was clearly only one explanation for this.
A Coup.
The blast sent a peal of smoke and noise up that nearly knocked Li Xingke off his feet. Instinctively, he ran over and scooped the princess from the balcony in an attempt to shield her from any debris. Luckily, he felt nothing strike him as he rolled to a stop.
He looked at the Princess. At the moment, she looked a little too shocked to cry.
As he picked the princess up onto her feet and dusted her off, he heard the faint sound of firecrackers.
Yet these cracks were not the high-pitched, snaps of firecrackers, but vicious, snarling cracks.
The sound of gunfire.
"Take my sister away from here. It's best she doesn't see what happens here next."
Prince Weilin's words suddenly came back to Xingke.
Was the Prince behind this?
He needed to get the Princess to safety. The sounds of gunfire were close now, along with the metal clash of melee weapons.
The main hall.
The assembled officials were likely feasting in the main hall—to protect them, the Imperial Guard would likely be heading there.
"Your Highness, it's not safe here!"
Scooping up the Princess, Xingke ran (or, more correctly, tumbled) down the stairs through the doorway they had entered. There was a garden outside—Xingke had been here before. But somehow, the scenery this time was ruined by the Imperial Guard currently slumped into the pond.
The fact that he was coloring the pool red didn't help either.
Xingke considered stopping to help the man, but he, like the rest of the Imperial Guard, exist to protect those in the court. His responsibility was protecting the princess.
Covering the princess' eyes, Xingke ran past the body, through the sounds of battle.
"The gates are clear, your highness." An army officer reported as he stepped gingerly over the body of a guard.
Prince Jiang Weilin nodded. "Makes sure the gates remain secure, Adjutant Nguyen. As long as we can hold the perimeter, we have a clear shot at the Eunuchs."
Adjutant Nguyen saluted as he distastefully spat at a body of an imperial guard.
"Traitors."
"…Don't. They are simply doing their jobs."
When Jiang's grandfather and Xin'an Emperor Jiang Jieshi[3] had rescued the last Princess of China from oncoming Japanese forces in the Second Pacific War under the orders of Prime Minister Sun Yat-Sen, he had faced opposition from the Imperial Guard. But it was the future Emperor's actions that had allowed the Chinese Federation to stand tall against the Japanese.
He regretted these deaths—but for the future of China, they needed to step aside.
Slowly, Weilin and the soldiers with him walked to the end of the entry hall. Without hesitation, Weilin flung the door open.
"Well, shit," one of the coup officers muttered.
The stone steps that led up to the Imperial Court were already clogged with Imperial Guardsmen.
"This is going to be a mess," Nguyen muttered as he flipped the safety off his assault rifle—just as Weilin's hand moved in front of him, preventing him from moving.
Pikes and assault rifles were carefully arrayed in formation, a formidable wall that challenged anyone who closed in.
But somebody who looked closely would notice the wet patches on some of the guardsmen's robes, or the way each spear and gun barrel seemed to tremble.
The forbidden Army once consisted of the most elite of the Chinese Army. Those inside were taken from their divisions, men of officer caliber who underwent the harshest training. The best students from China, from Kazakhstan, from Mongolia, from Kerala once studied and trained for most of their lives for a chance to be part of the Imperial Guard. They were the strongest, the most loyal, the most disciplined, and they were rewarded as such.
These guards were not those men.
Between the Inner Palace, dominated by Eunuchs, and the Outer Palace, dominated by the Civil Court, there is very little power exchange. The Eunuchs hold no legal power over the court, and the court's policies cannot affect the lifestyle of their sovereign, in the Inner court. The Inner Court's duty is to administrate the Emperor, the Outer Court's duty is to administrate the nation. In order for the Inner court to control the outer court, therefore, members of the outer court must be convinced, in one way or another, to follow the wishes of the inner court.
Assassination is, of course, possible, but it is a risky move, and easy to trace. Should an assassination fail (and even succeed), there will be an awareness that somebody is pulling the strings.
Coercion and Intimidation are also factors. However, there are those whose loyalties are much stronger than their fears. If Intimidation fails, its failure will be made public. If it succeeds, it will only last as long as the target's enmity is overpowered by his or her fear. Should things fall apart and the fear is removed, the intimidated will willingly turn on his master.
The best position is bribery. A bribe can be said to be a simple gift exposed, and it develops positive relations between client and employer that may eventually come to breed loyalty.
The rank of Imperial Guard, it turns out, is the perfect position. An Imperial Guard earns many times the pay of the combat infantryman, and the palace, theoretically the safest place in all of China, shouldn't see much action. In fact, much of the Imperial Guard, with its stylized armor and archaic weaponry, exists only as a backup should an assailant get through the army outside. An Imperial Guard is a well-paid man whose job carries little risk.
The men in red who stood in front of the Prince were not Imperial Guards, but simply petty men who, through their connections with the High Eunuchs, had found their way into what they thought was an easy road to retirement.
And yet, Weilin knew, even a cornered dog will bite back. If these men were forced into a fight, they would fight for their lives, trained or not.
Calmly, he walked past his bewildered troops as he slowly ascended the stone steps, calling with a loud voice.
"Third Prince Jiang Weilin, Prime Minister to the Yong'an Emperor, demands an audience!"
The ranks of imperial guardsmen wavered but stood firm as their officer, a man holding a handgun, stepped forwards with a shiver.
"S-step back!"
The officer leveled his handgun at the Prince as he continued to ascend the hundreds of stone steps. The two sides stared in tense silence.
"I m-mean it! Step back, or I'll shoot!"
The officer's trembling fingers tightened on the trigger as the prince closed in.
Should I shoot?
The officer had never expected to be in this position. He was merely a soldier in the capital who had helped the Eunuchs change a few records in the equipment records bureau.
He knew the Prime Minister was a skilled combatant.
But the Eunuchs will kill me if I step aside!
But if he didn't move, the Prime Minister would kill him.
Shoot him, and you'll have crushed the rebellion!
He has a sword that he hasn't even drawn, you have a gun!
I can't shoot the Prince!
It's do or die!
I don't want to—
DO IT—
The officer closed his eyes and squeezed the trigger.
Slowly, he opened his eyes.
Where the Prime Minister had stood, there was merely a stone step.
Huh—
And then a poker of icy fire pierced into his leg.
With a scream, he fell to the ground as he clutched his leg where the ceremonial Jian had pierced his leg. He felt a shadow fall over him, and he looked up through his pain—right at the metal blade, still caked by his blood.
"On account of your bravery, I spare your life," Jiang Weilin said with a voice that could have frozen water.
He turned to the rest of the Imperial Guards, who stared at their commanding officer with indecipherable expressions.
"Is anybody else prepared to fight for the Eunuchs?"
Slowly, one of the guardsmen stepped back. And then another. And then another. And finally, the crowd of guardsmen split like the red Sea.
Prince Weilin turned back to his men.
"Well, it seems that these gentlemen were our welcoming party."
It was in a scene of near panic that Li Xingke and Princess Jiang Lihua entered the feast hall.
The blast at the gate had long since put a hold on the many feasts that were going on inside the court, and the festive atmosphere in the main hall had long since been replaced by nervousness.
Civil Officials in Black Hanfu and Military Officials in Red Hanfu milled about, some simply sitting at their allotted chairs and others whispering among themselves.
"There, there, I'm sure our Imperial Guard have managed to suppress these rebels," the loud reedy voice of High Eunuch Lu Mang rang through the halls. Having lost access to the hormones produced by the testes before puberty, Eunuchs go through several physical changes. For one, they no longer grow facial hair. Their voices remain high, like that of a child[4]. Their bodies favor a rounded shape, and, unusually, the lack of limiting hormones means that they grow to unusually tall heights. Lu Mang, who led the Eunuchs, carried all these hallmarks. At 52 years of age, his voice sounded like that of a child.
That high voice concealed his nervousness.
For all the confidence he projected, the fact was that he had no idea what was going on. Save for the guards with him in the hall, the rest were engaged in battle with the coup forces.
Yet, he reassured himself, the Imperial Guard were in force outside the courts. There was no way that the coup forces would be able to cross the steps. He had yet to hear anything from the audience hall as well.
Yes, perhaps there were fewer of them than he imagined—
With a bang, the hall doors flew open.
With a collective gasp, the occupants of the hall, officials, servants, guards and entertainers turned as one to the sound.
"Lu Mang, I place you under arrest for treason against the Chinese Federation!"
There was a murmur of shock as prince Jiang Weilin walked in, his hair unbound as he walked past the shocked Civilian and Military officers who spread apart to allow him through.
For a moment, Lu Mang simply froze, his face contorted in fear.
The Prime Minister.
He should have known that the Prince had wanted to plan a coup. After all, he had made peace with Britannia to allow Chinese troops back to the Capital.
What should I do?
He looked around. There didn't seem to be many troops with the Prince—generally Army officers, some of them seemingly bearing wounds. His Imperial guards outnumbered them.
Moreover, most of the Officials here owed their jobs to him.
He took heart. I can still do this.
"Treason? If there is anybody guilty of treason, it would be you, Third Prince. You turn your sword against the capital, against your Emperor, and you accuse me of treason? You, who lead a military coup right into our venerable institution?"
The Prince's expression did not change as he walked closer. Lu Mang quietly moved his chair backwards for a quick escape.
"Treason? I was not the one who ordered the deaths of the Crown Prince Taizi and any man, Royalty or not, who oppose your rule!"
"That was the decision of the Emperor against a traitor, like you, who plotted against him!"
"The Emperor? The man you have sealed inside the palace, without ever having even seen his son?"
Prince Weilin turned to the civil officials, military officials and dukes.
"Tell me. Since Lu Mang replaced High Eunuch Liao, how many of you have spoken to the Emperor? How many of you have seen him?"
Lu Mang froze. The guilty agreement that the crowd showed wasn't to his favor.
"Fourth Princess Hualin, have you ever seen our father? Have you, Eight Prince Xueliang?"
Silence followed. Lu Mang turned to the guard officer next to him and made a sign. Quietly, several guard officers began to creep into the crowd.
"I, the Prime Minister and third prince, confess that I have never once spoken to my father, the Emperor directly. Everything has come through Lu Mang and the other High Eunuchs. Through Gao Hai, through Cai Lishi, or through Xia Wang, or the others. I am starting to wonder if perhaps Lu Mang was in fact my father, the Emperor."
"Defaming the Emperor, how dare you—"
"And look what has happened since that time. As the subordinate owes respect and honor to the superior, the superior must reciprocate, or the system of mutual respect between king and subject are broken. Today, the Chinese Federation is weak. We have lost the trust of our citizens in the Philippines and Annam. Even now, Britannia comes closer and closer to our shores as our armies, abandoned, fight on desperately. You, General Huang, know this. As do you, General Kim."
Quietly and unobtrusively, the Guard officers squeezed through the crowd.
"Our allies and dependent states no longer trust us. Today, our trade with Korea is dwarfed by Korea's trade with Japan. India vies for independence, as it wages a genocidal war against its muslims. And we need not look further than our own borders. Our district governors rule as Warlords, just as they did before the Xin'an emperor subdued them in the Northern Campaign. General Cao in Liaodong has driven out our imperial inspectors.
Our people, meanwhile, are driven to poverty. Minister of Revenue, I am sure you remember the times that the Eunuchs have compelled you to alter the revenue record to support kickback after kickback.
Minister of Justice, how many innocent men do you execute everyday under the behest of the Eunuchs?
Ministry of Works, what works? I have inspected the roads you have built along Xuzhou, and on a rainy day my car cannot even drive out of the swamp you men made with shoddy materials."
The Prince looked around.
"I am not here to share blame. I am not here to talk about our problems, or whatever crimes we may have committed, but how we can remit. And how we can remit, now, is to overthrow these men, or what could pass as men, these Eunuchs—"
"Enough!" Loud and shrill, Lu Mang's voice cut off Prince Weilin midspeech. Skilled in politics, Lu Mang could tell that the crowd was slowly turning against him. If he was to survive, he needed to stop this immediately.
"You voice crimes against the Imperial Throne and blaspheme the office you are pledged to. A trial is not necessary for a man who has clearly voiced his traitorous intentions! Guards!"
From their positions, four guard officers drew their sabers, surrounding the Prince.
Lu Mang froze as he felt the prince's eyes on him—cold, opaque eyes that showed no love, no hatred, no mercy. "So you will fight?"
Looking around, Lu Mang stood as tall as he could. "Go! Kill him!"
One officer raised his saber—and then doubled back as a foot lashed onto his wrist as he drew back for a slash. With a clatter, the saber fell to the ground as the Prince lashed out with his fist, a fist that impacted into the officer's unprotected neck. He collapsed to the ground, clutching his throat, as the three other officers charged.
Lu Mang looked around desperately. Most of the crowd was staring at the battle. If he ran right now—but if he fled after his men won, he would lose the respect of the officials.
Compelled by his social obligations, Lu Mang could only watch, unaware of the fifteen year old boy that eyed him.
Intercepting a swing with the flat of his blade, the Prince drove the fallen officer's saber at the other officer's chest. Yet a little wiser from the last encounter, the officer leapt back, knocking the saber away with his own in a shower of sparks and the loud clang of metal. Charging to capitalize on the opportunity, the Prince kicked the officer in the Knee. Surprised, the man staggered—just as a kick impacted with his head. There was a loud crack like a gunshot, and the man fell to the ground, his neck bent at an angle that was clearly less than natural.
The other two officers charged—and then halted as the Prince turned around. The three men circled each other, one of them leaning in a forwards crouch in enthusiasm. For a moment, nobody moved—and then, quick as a snake, the Prince's hand snapped, grabbing the crouched officer by the lapel and yanking him forwards. Slightly weighed down by his ceremonial armor, the officer stumbled forwards—right into the saber that stabbed through his collar. Instead of yanking the sword out, the Prince charged at the other officer, who hesitated at the possibility of striking his ally.
Surprised by the sudden charge, the Officer stepped back—just as a hand snatched his sword hand. Pivoting behind him, the Prince drove his knee into the back of officer's knee, knocking him down. Grabbing the officer by the hair, the Prince swung fist after fist into the poor man. The sound of solid impacts gradually was replaced with wet smacks as blood, phlegm and saliva filled the man's face.
However, one officer still lived, his hands on his neck. Gingerly, he drew a pistol. Previously, he couldn't have shot without risking hitting the civil officials—but with the Prince now focused on one man, he could afford to aim.
With trembling hands, the officer lined up the barrel with the prince's back—
A bang filled the air.
The Prince turned slowly to face the barrel of the handgun—and then blinked as the officer slumped to the ground.
"I've lived long enough anyway" General Kim muttered as he holstered his handgun. The large, bearded Korean man picked up the officer's handgun and turned it, holding it out with the handle pointed at the Prince, the barrel at his own chest.
"You willing to take an old veteran like me, your highness?"
Prince Weilin smiled. "Of course, General."
"S-stop! You would side with a traitor?"
Lu Mang was still trying to keep control. The crowd turned to face them—and Lu Mang froze.
There was not a single note of uncertainty in their eyes.
There was simply clear, obvious murderous intent.
He could expect no mercy from these officials.
"Traitors! Traitors all! Guards, kill them!"
The Imperial Guards hesitated. Some of them dropped their weapons, while others dutifully, if fearfully, charged.
Military Officials and even Civilian Officials drew their swords, some of them swinging at the guards with stools and nearby lampstands. The hall dissolved into melee.
Lu Mang knew he couldn't rely on these guards. They were merely a distraction.
He need to go. Now.
Turning, he left his chair and began to run.
Li Xingke huddled in front of the Princess as he watched what was going on in front of him. He would never have imagined the day he saw this—the imperial guard, the army, and the Imperial Officials, fighting in a bloodbath in the main hall that was the pride and honor of the Chinese Federation.
Thankfully, nobody paid attention to them—the imperial guards were fighting for their lives, the officials too busy trying to kill them.
Out of the corner of his eye, Xingke noticed a large, fat man waddling away.
Lu Mang.
It was this Eunuch who had caused this to happen.
It was this Eunuch who had simply dismissed his family when his father was wounded in the war.
Who had made sure that the Princess could not even meet her father.
Who had brought poverty on so much of the federation.
Xingke put a hand inside his robes, to where he had always concealed a small dagger.
He had, of course, had training with this.
With a practiced throw, he hurled the dagger.
Lu Mang screamed, a loud, shrill scream as the dagger stabbed into his leg. Tripping, he collapsed to the floor.
Xingke considered going to finish him off.
It was what prince Weilin would have done.
And then he heard the cry.
The cry of a certain princess.
For a moment, Xingke hesitated—and then, spitting in the Eunuch's direction, he ran back into the fray to his princess.
The fight didn't last long—most of the Imperial Guard had put down their arms, and those that remained did not last very long against the military officials who had passed strenuous physical exams for their coveted positions.
"Your Highness!"
Prince Weilin turned as he heard a voice behind him—the young boy with the long hair.
"Li Xingke—you are still here?"
Xingke grinned and nodded, and he held a ceremonial sword. "Lu Mang is over there. I took him down with a dagger."
Weilin blinked. In the melee, he hadn't been able to find the Eunuch—he turned to where the youth pointing—and saw a shaking figure still trying to crawl across the ground.
Xingke smiled eagerly.
"I can finish him for you, your highness."
Weilin smiled.
"And? What of your charge? Are you going to let her see that?"
Xingke blinked in surprise as he turned to the slightly blood-splattered girl who was tugging at his robe.
"Oh, I—"
Weilin sighed as he looked around. While valiant, some of the civil officials didn't have any military training. There were a fair amount of bodies on the ornate stone floor, flowing down the cracks. Given that this was a melee fight, the bodies were not pretty.
"Do you think my sister should see this?"
"I…"
Weilin smiled to the kid. "I am grateful, Li Xingke. Your devotion to the Federation heartens me. But this isn't sight for my sister. Take her somewhere safe…it's best she doesn't see everything that follows."
For a moment, Xingke looked unsatisfied. Finally, though, he looked down. "Yes, your majesty."
As he turned to go, Weilin turned away with a smile.
If all of our next generation is like this, I have high hopes for the Federation.
When he was sure the women and Xingke had left, he turned to the remaining officials and the imperial guard officers who had defected.
"Now, let's kill the traitor."
There was no cheer, no growls—simply the all the more dangerous silence of pure killing intent.
Weilin turned to where the Eunuch lay, slowly crawling along the ground and leaving a trail of blood like a particularly bloated slug.
Almost casually, he walked over to Lu Mang. Weilin's saber dragged across the ground with a cruel scratching noise, like the sound of an executioner's axe being sharpened.
Lu Mang scrabbled desperately with pants of exertion and pain as he desperately tried to get away.
I don't want to die! I don't want to die!
It was a simple wish, shared by every single animal in the animal kingdom.
And, at this moment, Lu Mang was indistinguishable from any animal, his pants like that of some cornered beast on Helium.
Weilin almost felt Pity. Almost.
"Lu Mang."
For a moment, even the Eunuch's whimpers ceased.
"I execute you for crimes against the Imperial Chinese Federation."
Slowly, he raised his saber as the Eunuch scrabbled with redoubled effort.
There was no begging, no cursing, no rational thought—just the scream of an animal in its death throes.
"Hiiiiiiiiiiii—"
"—"
There is no real way to write down the sound of a sharp metal object impacting flesh.
"Oh, your highness…not there…."
Guan Tziling (or, as she preferred to be called, Guan Ling) tried not to look too disgusted as she stood outside the bedroom of the Emperor Yong'an.
What the Eunuchs paid her for this was way too little to deal with this shit.
It was like this every day, every hour, every month.
The Imperial Harem consisted of hundreds, thousands of concubines, all existing to please the Emperor and bear children. A little basic math will reveal that in order for each Concubine to get a turn in a year, you're going to have to arrange several rounds a day.
At least I don't have to be one of them.
Sighing, Ling took out a piece of paper. Pricking her finger, she quickly drew a pattern across the piece of paper with her blood and held it up to the light. There was no change, and Ling sighed. Not like there was ever. This palace was locked so tight that it was impossible that any poison could possibly get in.
Then again, being the Emperor's Bodyguard/Doctor wasn't so bad.
Treat the Emperor's countless venereal diseases, check for poison, it wasn't too bad.
If this is what it takes to suck up to the Eunuchs, I'll do it.
But honestly, this was demeaning.
A magus from one of the most illustrious houses of China, treating the Emperor for Gonorrhea.
What her father would have said.
Given, it WAS a position close to the emperor, but…
"Hahaha…see you again, your highness!"
With a tinkling laugh, one of the concubines exited, her discarded robes covering her assets.
"Ling-ling! Come in!"
Ling sighed as she formed her "Not this shit again" face. The concubine, now looking a little tired, smiled back resignedly with the "it can't be helped face" as she walked away.
Ling sighed as she watched the concubine go while glancing at the open space underneath her ceremonial armor.
Not like I'm jealous or anything.
She sighed as she walked in. The smell of aphrodisiac and body liquids annoyed her, but she managed a smile. On the bed was the man that all of China looked up to.
Try as she might, Guan Ling could not summon a shred of respect for this man.
Jiang Anping, Emperor of the Chinese Federation, was a wreck. Then again, Ling conceded, any guy who went through multiple women and multiple course meals in a day would probably look like this. Despite being 40 years old, his physical structure was shrunken and slightly stunted. With skinny, atrophied limbs, gaunt eyes and a blissful, semi-retarded smile, one of the richest men in the world looked easily like some of the poorest.
"The sores…they're back again."
"Are they now? Now now…" Ling reached into her box of remedies and removed a paper packet. Unfolding it, she poured the contents, a white powder, into a nearby pot of tea. Honestly, it was just strong antibiotics—but this spoiled brat of an Emperor wouldn't take it in its raw form.
Sometimes, Ling wondered what would happen if this man would act any differently if he knew what was going on outside this palace. She wondered if he cared.
But that wasn't her job. Her job was to tell him that all was well, and that the Eunuchs were making the peasants happy in the Emperor's name. To keep him in the dark, trapped in a cage of women and pleasures.
"If you can do this, I assure you that we will hasten your confirmation as head of the Tianjing Magic Association."
"Fucking Zhao Hao," she muttered under her breath.
Her ancestors…would they even accept her? But they wouldn't understand.
The Tianjing Magic Association, the association of the Chinese and Japanese magic systems.
Based on the Chinese principles of Wu Xing, the Chinese Taoist and Japanese Onmyodo maintain a culture of magecraft markedly different but equally advanced as the western Magus Association. For thousands of years, members of the association have served the Emperors of China and protected the people. Shinto Priests, the Shaolin Monastic Orders, Mongolian Shamanism, Chinese Necromancy, the Buddhists Priests, the Court Magus and Doctors—all of these are united under the Tianjing Association.
It used to be that it was the Emperor of China who directly confirmed each head of the Association, each of the Sages.
It was this stupid system that allowed the Eunuchs to grasp control of even the Tianjing Association.
And look what it had done. Sure, the western Magus Associaiton was stagnating—but by now the Tianjing Association had now lost most of the world's respect. Japan, adopting the magic of the western association, had turned their backs on their old ways. Yet, in two wars and the Second Pacific War, the Japanese had trounced China, in both magecraft and warfare.
And still these Eunuchs continued on, plundering what they could, stockpiling for some future that clearly did not include the rest of China.
That even someone like Ling, a descendant of the Three Kingdoms Period hero Guan Yunchang, had to prostrate herself in front of these Eunuchs is a disgrace.
And it was all because this useless degenerate was an emperor.
"Fucking Zhao Hao. Fucking Gao Hai. Fucking Lu Mang. Fucking all of—"
And then she bowed with a smile as a group of figures entered.
The fuckers themselves.
Jabbering in their high pitched voices, here were the Eunuchs.
"Evening, your Eminence—"
The Eunuchs abruptly pushed past her—and Ling realized that there was a tone of fear and urgency in their shrill chatter.
Xia Wang led them, a bespectacled man of Burmese origin who had abandoned his old name for a place in the palace. "Is the Emperor well!"
No he's got every other venereal disease out there and he's about as good as he was when you guys started stuffing small amounts of poison in his food, what the hell do you want?
"Y-yes, he is as well as ever—"
Xia Wang smiled with relief as he glanced at the others. "Quickly! We must stall them until our men arrive!"
Zhao Hao, a portly, large Eunuch nodded. "Get up, your highness!"
From the bedroom, a sick, croaking voice replied.
"Zhao Hao…what's the hurry?"
"Your highness, there are men who would like to see you!"
"T…tell them I'm busy."
"Your Highness!"
"I do not want to go! That is a word from your Emperor—"
And then Xia Wang shoved Ling out of the way and rushed into the chamber. Out of nowhere, he had produced a handgun.
"Your Eminence, what—"
Xia Wang was surprisingly strong. With one hand, he dragged the Emperor out of bed. Unused to the physical shock, the Emperor stumbled for a moment before standing up shakily.
"Come, we must go!"
Gao Hai, a tall, skinny Eunuch glanced at Ling and smiled, a humorless smile. "Come along, Ling. We may need your services. Take your weapons."
Guan Ling sighed. "Yes, yes your Eminence," she muttered as she paused to grab the wrapped polearm outside the room.
"Third Prince Jiang Weilin, Prime Minister to the Yong'an Emperor, demands an audience with my Father, Emperor of China!"
The Inner Palace was protected by a defensive wall—the only thing that now protected the Eunuchs from the wrath of the Coup d'etat forces.
Prince and Prime Minister Jiang Weilin sighed. "I suppose they are going to just hole up in there?"
General Kim sighed. "I say we just break down these doors."
Now supported by some of the more loyal Imperial Guards and the Military Officials, a small army now stood outside the inner palace. On the walls, Imperial Guards stared back nervously.
Weilin shook his head. "Let's try once more."
"Third Prince Jiang Weilin, Prime Minister to the Yong'an Emperor, demands an audience with my Father, Emperor of China!"
Silence answered.
"What? Is it as I feared, that you Eunuchs have long since killed the Emperor? Or are you Eunuchs afraid? Afraid of justice? His people demand an audience!"
Silence.
"Those bastards are going to fight to the end," an undersecretary muttered as his hands tightened on his chair leg.
General Kim groaned. "Your Highness, we may as well just attack."
Weilin nodded. "I suppose. All Imperial Guard inside, lay down your arms and you will not be harmed! We require only the Eunuchs—"
"The Emperor, the Tianzi, is here!"
The shrill voice rang out, once more silencing the Prince.
"He's here?" There was s shocked murmur.
For the first time in their lives, in forty years, the Emperor of China would show his face.
On the rampants, the faces of the Eunuchs appeared, surrounded by Guard officers.
"May the Emperor live ten thousand years, and ten thousand ten thousands of years![5]" they cried in unison.
And, in silence, the Emperor stood before them.
And, for a moment, there was utter silence.
And, for a moment, in everyone's mind, there was the thought:
"Could this really be our Emperor?"
This was no majestic soldier, like Emperor Jieshi, or a striking warrior, or a philosopher king.
This was a skeleton.
A 40-year old gaunt boy wasted away by years of excess.
Overfed, oversexed, overburdened.
This was the Yong'an Emperor. The true face of China.
And yet, a lifetime of hierarchies did not instantly disappear.
Instantly, everyone prostrated themselves, knocking foreheads to the grounds in a mass Kowtow.
"May the Emperor live ten thousand years, and ten thousand ten thousand ten thousands of years!" they cried in perfect unison.
Zhao Hao put a hand on the Emperor's shoulder. "Now, state your grievances to the Emperor himself!"
Prince Weilin walked forwards, to meet with his father for the first time.
So this is my father.
In a way, his father, stunted, hollow, and looking scared out of his mind, looked more like his son.
"Your son, Jiang Weilin, prostrates himself before you!"
"I-I what do you want with me? Why do you raise arms against me and my caretakers?"
"Your Majesty, we do not come in rebellion against you.
Rather, Father, your majesty, we are here to open those eyes that have been held shut by those detestable men next to you!"
The Emperor turned in disbelief to the Eunuchs, as if expecting somebody else to be there.
"What are you talking about? Zhao Hao, Gao Hai, Wei Xia, Cai Lishi and the others are my deepest confidantes, who exercise my will and keep my nation in prosperity!"
"Forgive my rudeness, your highness, but they are no friends, no confidantes. Do you know of the war we are fighting in Annam? Of the famine in India? Or of the floods in Thailand?"
"What—what are you talking about—"
"Of the madness that these 'confidantes' of yours are hiding from you?"
"Nonsense," Gao Hai cried. "These are lies that these men are using to turn your highness against us, your most loyal servants!"
"Gao Hai, what—is this true?"
"No, all lies," the Eunuchs chorused. The Emperor, though, did not seem convinced.
"Your Majesty, do not listen to these Eunuchs, who mislead you with honeyed words and pretty women as they drive your nation into the ground!"
"Ohhhhhhhh—" At that moment, with a wail, Wei Xia prostrated himself to the ground, knocking his forehead against the ground so hard that blood flowed.
"Wei Xia—" The Emperor started in concern
"Emperor, order us to kill ourselves now if you desire it! If you would trust their madness over us, then we would gladly give our lives to you!"
"That drama queen," Kim muttered derisively.
"All of us stand before you as your most humble servants," Zhao Hao Echoed as well as he and the other Eunuchs prostrated. "Will you trust their slander?"
The Emperor, though, continued staring. "Zhao Hao…I…."
And then General Kim let out a loud curse in Korean. "Enough of this! We need not the Emperor to dirty his hands!" Raising his handgun, he pointed it at Zhao Hao, the fattest and largest target. "I will kill them myself for you, your majesty!"
—and then, at that moment, Zhao Hao grabbed the Emperor and stuffed him before him.
"Shoot, then! If we die, the Emperor dies with us!"
Weilin's eyes widened. "What—how dare you—"
"Put down your weapons, traitors, in front of the Emperor!"
"Your highness—"
"PUT THEM DOWN!"
For a moment, Prince Weilin simply stared in shock—and then, slowly, he prostrated himself, touching his forehead to the ground.
And then there was a roar—not the crack of gunfire, but the loud, proud roar of an artillery gun.
Adjutant Nguyen, ignoring protocol, listened to the radio.
"Milord, the Eunuch's men are using tanks to break through our defenses!"
Weilin turned to the Eunuchs. "So you would even abandon the sacred rules of the Forbidden City and deploy armored units?"
Gao Hai smiled indulgently. "To crush a rebellion and protect our emperor, petty rules are not necessary."
And then, among the cannonfire, came a new sound. Kim cursed.
"Helicopters."
For the first time in fifty years, the airspace of the forbidden city was broken as military helicopters suddenly filled the sky.
Weilin glared at Gao Hai. "You would break every rule?"
From the helicopters, troops began dropping in—Chinese Marines and Army, in uniforms of blue and green. The way their guns were pointed at the coup forces made clear their allegiances.
Kim grunted at Weilin. "Well, we only have chance at this…want to try for it?"
Weilin nodded to his troops.
Wei Xia blinked. "What are you—"
And then General Kim, Weilin, and his men charged. With a vault, Prince Weilin clambered up the wall with two quick steps, into the crowd of guards. Followed by Nguyen, Kim and some of their men, they began attacking the Imperial Guard. Crowded on the rampants, they one by one as the Eunuchs could only look on. Kim drew his handgun and pointed it at Gao Hai.
"Eunuchs, at the very least, you will fall with us!"
A gunshot—and then a loud clang.
For a moment, everybody stared in silence at the short-haired woman in front of the Eunuchs.
"Nobody harms the Emperor," Guan Tziling said quietly as she swung the polearm with which she had blocked the bullet in warning..
Kim cursed as he drew his sword. "You would defend these Eunuchs, Magus?"
Guan Tziling shrugged as she twirled her polearm. With its head completely wrapped in a canvas bag, it lacked any killing edge.
"If it protects the Emperor, yes."
Kim blinked. "You will not pull off that bag?"
"I don't need to."
General Kim's eyes narrowed. "Well, if that is your arrogance."
With that, he charged.
Victory and defeat was determined instantly.
"What…the hell….." General Kim murmured—and then crumpled.
"That's—" a soldier started
The canvas bag blew away, cut by the blade inside.
A long, curved blade, almost as long as a dao, tapering to two points.
A ring attached to one point jangling.
The shape of a dragon engraved in the blade.
A Guan Dao.
Nguyen cursed as he raised his assault rifle with his comrades.
"Fuck it, you can't block bullets—"
Prince Weilin held out a hand. "Wait—"
And then Guan Ling was upon them.
A few of the soldiers, aware of the danger, raised their rifles in defense as she approached—
And then she was clear, the blade glowing with a green light.
Weilin, from his dealings with the Tianjing association, realized exactly what this was.
Heirloom of the Guan Family, passed down for over a thousand years.
Once a conceptual weapon.
Now a noble phantasm.
There is no weapon more legendary, no weapon more well known in China.
The halberd used by hero Guan Yunchang in the three kingdoms.
Not simply a Guan Dao, but THE Guan Dao.
The Green Crescent Dragon Blade, the one used by Guan Yunchang himself.
Silently, the remaining troops around Weilin collapsed in silence.
The short-haired girl glanced up at Weilin expressionlessly. "…will you still resist?"
Prince Weilin smiled, a desperate smile.
As a Prince, in defeat in victory, he had to maintain his honor.
Slowly, he raised his Jian in front of him.
"Long Live the Emperor!"
He charged—and then felt a blast of air pressure. Desperately, he raised his jian—and then felt his arm nearly wrenched off as the Jian was knocked out of his hand. The impact knocked him off the walls.
He flew off the walls, his back slamming to the ground—just in time to see a thicket of rifle barrels and spear barrels point themselves at him.
"The Chief traitor, Jiang Weilin, has been captured," Wei Xia yelled triumphantly. "Soldiers, arrest the rest of these traitors!"
He turned to the Emperor and Guan Ling.
"Tziling, escort his highness back to his quarters."
"Come on, your majesty…let's get you washed off," Guan Ling sighed as she put a hand on the Emperor—and then stopped when she saw his face.
He seemed shaken, like a man who had been hit with a bat.
He managed a weak smile at Guan Ling.
"Ling-ling."
"Yes, your highness?"
"Is what that man said true? What have I done?"
Guan Ling tried to smile reassuringly. "Your Majesty, don't worry, it was all lies—" It didn't sound convincing, even to her.
"Guan Ling! As the Emperor! Tell me the truth! Is what he said true?"
For a moment, Guan Ling froze. She looked around. The Eunuchs were not following her. They trusted her enough.
"Yes. Yes, your majesty."
Guan Ling turned to the emperor—and, for the first time, felt pity.
For, on his face was not simply fear. It was shock.
The shock of a man who had just realized that his whole life had been a lie.
1 Year Later
Luoyang
According to his executioner, "Prince Jiang Weilin, Traitor to his Country" was what the wooden sign said on Jiang Weilin's back.
The coup, of course, had failed. When he had been captured, the Civil Officials and Military Officials were rounded up, along with most of the Royal Family.
In retrospect, it had been the perfect way for the Eunuchs to eliminate their last opposition.
According to "Imperial Edict", there would be no more civil examinations for Chief Ministers—each of the High Eunuchs would head each of the ministries.
Weilin craned his neck from his prisoner's cart. Made of rough wood, the cart held a group of stocks that held each prisoner's head in place.
"Well, I never imagined I'd be on this end of the spectacle," a voice behind him said drily. General Huang sighed. "I used to be an executioner before I got promoted by your grandfather."
"Well, I suppose it's a learning experience."
Their cart was hardly the only one. Behind them were most of the Ministers of the Court, and the remaining 32 Princes and Princesses. The Eunuchs had conveniently implicated almost all of the Imperial family. A perfect chance to seize power.
From the streets, the populace watched silently.
Some of them wept, some of them just stared blankly.
Weilin sighed. "Any regrets, Huang?"
"That I didn't kill those Eunuchs when I had the chance?"
"Fair enough. It seems like we're here."
They were at a public square, fenced off and guarded by soldiers. From an upper dias, the Eunuchs seemed to be enjoying the scene.
"For their roles in their rebellion, these traitors will be executed by firing squad for lèse-majesté. May this be a warning for those who oppose the Emperor!"
"What a joke," Huang muttered.
Lifting the stocks, soldiers began unloading their prisoners.
"Careful, your highness," a soldier whispered. Compared to some of the other soldiers, he was unloading the cart rather gently.
"You can get killed for that," Weilin whispered back.
"I'll take the risk, you're highness."
"I guess that's one secret I'll…take to the grave," Weilin chuckled.
The soldier didn't laugh at the joke.
Slowly, they were made to stand in a line, their necks bound together as the herald continued harping on.
"Fucking Eunuchs love their shows," Huang growled.
"Prostrate yourself before the future Empress, Princess Taizi[6] Jiang Lihua!"
Instantly, the crowd kowtowed.
"May the Emperor live ten thousand years, and ten thousand ten thousand ten thousands of years!"
Weilin cursed. Of course it'd be a princess—that way, the Eunuchs could prostitute her off to whoever would give them a high rank in exchange for place as Emperor. Whatever those Eunuchs were, they weren't stupid.
As they passed by the dias, Weilin looked up—and then blinked. That white hair. He only knew one princess who had escaped the purge, the one that was just young enough to not be a threat.
"Wait, what are they doing to Big brother and big sister?"
Princess Jiang Lihua could barely believe her eyes as she tearfully watched her siblings enter the arena.
Li Xingke wished he could cover them—but he knew the Eunuchs would kill him for it.
Gao Hai smiled indulgently at the Princess.
"Your Highness, they have committed grave crimes against your father, the Emperor, and China. They must die for it."
"Big Brother Weilin wouldn't do that!"
"Your Highness, they do say not to judge a book by its cover."
You bastard, Xingke thought to himself.
He could only stare downwards at his former hero.
After a year in detainment, he looked starved, maltreated and bruised.
And yet, the former Prime Minister and Crown Prince stood tall.
He wanted to call to him.
He wanted to draw his sword on these Eunuchs.
But he wouldn't.
For he would fail, and die.
And who else would be able to protect the princess from these almost-men's machinations?
Jiang Weilin was looking up at the dias at the Princess with a sad look on his face.
If only you had succeeded, Xingke thought to himself.
As much as he idolized that man, he hated that man. Detested him.
He hated that man because he had failed. And had left such a burden on the Princess, a princess only six years old.
Xingke swallowed the lump in his throat as he continued staring, as a good bodyguard could.
And, as Weilin moved on, their eyes met.
For only a second.
For only a moment.
After that, he was prodded on.
But at that moment, Weilin smiled.
A peaceful smile.
Xingke didn't hear anything—but he knew exactly what his idol was saying.
Protect my sister.
I believe you can do it.
I believe in you, Li Xingke.
And somehow, that faith, that faith from a man just moments from the grave was what made him want to cry more than anything.
"I guess this is the Eunuch's world now, isn't it?" Huang growled as they lined up in front of the firing line.
"Maybe. Maybe for now. But not for long," Weilin replied.
From the corner of his eye, he noticed the soldiers applying a blindfold to Huang.
"What are you talking about?"
"Do you know a Li Xingke?"
"Now's not a good time for me to remember names."
"He's the guardian of our current Taizi."
"The Princess? He has his work cut out for him."
"But I believe he can do it. I know that there are people like him in the Chinese Federation. That they are ready to defend China. And I believe they can do it."
The soldiers had marched up to him already. The cloth blindfold slid over his eyes.
"Well, I guess that's all we can do at this point, right?"
"Yeah. I guess it's up to them now."
Around them, the crowd had fallen silent. Somewhere behind them, a soldier yelled, "Ready!"
Even blindfolded, Jiang Weilin smiled.
Eunuchs, keep on hoping. Keep on hoping you will live on, and your reigns will continue.
Believe in your greed, believe in your twisted future.
"Aim!"
Because I believe in Li Xingke.
Because I believe in the Chinese People.
Because I believe in China.
"Fire!"
"Well, so ends a generation," Gao Hai sighed with a melodramatic air. "Poor fools…if they had chosen to serve us, they could have been rolling in wealth."
He turned to the long-haired boy next to him.
"You, Li Xingke, I know, are different. I have seen your talents. You, Li Xingke, are wise. For what you are choosing is a golden future. You know where your loyalties lie, right?"
"Yes, your eminence. You, your eminence."
"Ah, yes, of course. Such a smart boy," Gao Hai exclaimed with a feminine laugh. "Now let us watch the rest of this spectacle."
Li Xingke's hands curled into fists.
Keep on believing that, Gao Hai.
Keep believing that I am your faithful pawn.
I'll do what I need to.
I'll scrabble in the dirt and lick your boots.
And someday, when you least expect it, I will have my revenge. China's revenge.
So until then, keep enjoying your days.
Because they are numbered.
Vermillion Forbidden Palace, Luoyang
"Your majesty…."
"Just go. Leave me."
Guan Tziling said nothing as a confused looking concubine left the Emperor's bedchambers.
The concubine turned to Guan Ling with a quizzical look. Guan Ling shrugged.
It's better I not explain it.
She sighed as she watched the woman walk away and as she looked back at her own chest.
Not like I'm jealous or anything…
Silently, she walked over to the chamber door and listened.
Beyond, she could hear the soft rhythmic sounds of sobbing.
Sighing, she knocked on the doorframe and entered.
Sprawled across the bed was the Yong'An Emperor.
In the past year, he had grown even more gaunt.
And now, his eyes were stained with tears.
"Guan Ling…do you know how I feel right now?"
Guan Ling said nothing.
"The feeling of knowing that your sons and daughters right now are being killed? Knowing that right now they are disappearing from the earth, and you've never met them? The feeling of the cruelest father in the world?"
Guan Ling could say nothing.
"What monster would live their whole life without even seeing his child?"
Guan Ling closed her eyes, for she did not know if she would break into tears at the same moment.
The Yong'an emperor was a broken man.
In a way, Guan Ling wished he had never stepped out on that fateful day. So that he could just be that sex-addicted, relaxed detestable man, blissfully unaware that he had unwittingly killed over a million men out of negligence.
Now the bird knew he was in a cage. He would never be able to sing again.
Like a bird that had discovered its wings were clipped and its voice muted, it can only lay on the ground.
This pathetic man, crying tears of blood, was the Emperor of China. The son of Heaven. And yet, in this situation, he was pathetic, a blubbering man with less dignity than the lowest peasant.
Guan Ling wished she did not have to hit this man with another blow.
But it was necessary.
"Your Majesty."
"Y-yes, Guan Ling?"
"I…" Guan Ling swallowed. "I am here to announce that I am leaving your service."
"…you too? You would leave me too?"
"I have been ordered by the Eunuchs to retrieve a certain artifact in Japan. It is possible I will not survive."
"…I understand. After all, it is the Eunuchs who rule, isn't it?" Like the chimpanzee that has realized it is no longer living in the African jungle but in a zoo, the Emperor now knew the full extent of his powerlessness.
"Your majesty…"
"It's alright. If I were you, I would leave this useless man as well."
"Your highness, please do not say such…such words." Even Guan Ling could not choke back a sob. She was going to be leaving this man alone, surrounded by Eunuchs who lied on him, servants that spied on him, concubines who eavesdropped on his deepest worries. In a way, she was his only confidante, and it hurt her to know that he was now utterly alone.
"I…alright. I give you my blessing, Guan Tziling…whatever it counts for."
Guan Ling prostrated herself.
"May the Emperor live ten thousand years and ten thousand ten thousand years."
"….may it be not even one more year," the Emperor replied quietly as Guan Tziling left.
Guan Tziling turned one more time for a last look at the Vermillion Forbidden City. The front gates had been replaced with heavy military bunker-level gates, and sandbags surrounded the city.
For a moment, she was tempted to turn back, to ask the Eunuchs to reconsider—and then she shook her head.
This was for him.
She didn't know why she decided this, how he felt like this.
The Emperor Yong'an was not a handsome man—he was skinny, stunted, a wasted man whose life had been completely burnt away like ash.
He was forty, and Guan Ling was in her twenties.
Each and every of his concubines was more beautiful than Guan Ling, with her mildly boyish looks and flat chest. He had no reason to like her, and she had no reason to like him.
But somehow, in those years where she had doted to his every need, she had felt attached to this pathetic man.
Somehow, she had come to care for this worthless man, who until a year ago had known and cared for nothing more than his sensual pleasures.
And, more than anything, she wished to free him.
On the Eunuchs' orders, as the representative of the Tianjing Association, she would participate in some kind of battle royale in next door Japan.
A battle between heroic spirits.
She already had her catalyst—the Guan Dao, and her command seals had already materialized. All that was necessary was for her to summon Guan Yunchang on the promised day.
The most well known spirit in East Asia, known by one out of every four people in the world—she had no chance of losing.
She would obtain the Holy Grail.
But she would not present it to those Eunuchs who had funded her trip. The grail will not be used by those madmen. In fact, it will be their undoing.
She will obtain the Holy Grail and free that poor man, a prisoner in his own palace.
She does not envision a blissful future with this man.
Guan Tziling does not hope for some fairy tale ending—after all, the man doesn't even look the part of the Prince, even as an Emperor.
She simply wants to set him free.
Footnotes and References
[1] Is Chinese New Year Really on January 23rd of 2010 ATB? – I have not a fucking clue. HeavyValor and I are both very iffy on the ATB system since it demands Code Geass occur in the 1960s, which is like saying that we should have had an advanced internet, giant robots and laser beams before we even invented Credit Cards. Frankly, it's a little ridiculous, but so are many things that are truth in code geass history (the guns? None of them are gunpowder or gas-combustion weapons. They're railguns. Look it up.) So not only do I have no idea when Chinese New Year is on this year I don't even know what this year is. I'm chinese and yes, I really have no idea, but for the story narrative's sakes, let's just say it is.
[2] Overcharging – Haggling is expected of you in Asia. If you don't speak the language or can't hold your ground, prepare to pay a lot more than how much whatever you're paying for is actually worth. Then again, it's probably still cheaper in many cases than what you can buy in the homeland.
[3] Jiang Jieshi – the name he is better known as in History is Chiang Kai-Shek, the President of Nationalist China before the Chinese Civil War and the creation of communist China. Jiang Jieshi is the mandarin pronunciation (The dominant dialect in China). Chiang Kai-Shek is the pronunciation in Cantonese (used in Southern China and Hong Kong).
[4] High Voices – The Church used to make use of this—children were emasculated so that their voice would remain high, they're called Castratos. The use of it died out in the 20th century, mainly because it's kinda rude to rip off some poor kid's balls.
[5] Ten Thousand Ten Thousands – a literal translation used in courts. The original goes like this: "願皇上萬歲萬萬歲"
[6] Taizi not Tianzi – Tianzi is the Son of Heaven, (天子). Taizi is the word for Crown Prince (太子). Both of these are strictly male, given China hasn't had many empresses, but there's no female equivalent.
Note: A sketch of the characters can be found at (remove spaces) ht tp : / / thejimmierustler . deviantart . com / art / F-ZE-Chinese-Federation-Characters-296050351
I'm not the best of artists, so pardon. Some other pieces of art that I drew can be found on HeavyValor's page.
-Afterword, Q&A-
Well, this chapter (and the first Pilot for the series, released as a prologue) will be the second weekly release for Fate/Zero Eos, with three sets of weekly updates left. In the meantime, somewhat in the fashion of HeavyValor, I would like to take a few letters in this story to answer or address any concerns/comments/questions in the review. If you have any questions about canon, the direction the story is going, or any concern or comment, feel free (and, in fact, I hope that you) leave them as a review. It's good to get feedback from the reader, or to give feedback to the writer. In the meantime, I'll get to the current reviews.
WarChild - Thank you for pointing this. Looking through the story, there are quite a few things that shouldn't be there (I refer to King Arthur as a She from Mordred's point of view once or twice, and I mentioned Charlemagne two hundred years before Charlemagne and Charles Martel were born). I have corrected as necessary, and thank you for your support.
EVA-Saiyanjin - I'd like to thank you as well for your correction. I unintentionally referred to King Arthur, even to those unaware of her gender, as Arturia, a mistake that I really should have been able to avoid. However, I have also corrected for this, and I thank you for the heads-up. In hte meantime, thank you for the encouragement! Expect to see a word or ten thousand in the next few weeks!
Slayerbion - I am hoping that the "wow" is not the "you dun goofed" kind of wow, but an impressed one. If I have dun goofed, I will do my best to ungoof myself. In the meantime, thanks for the review!
Lenkish - I am glad that I've appealed to you! The immortals, indeed, will play a very large role in the war, as implied in the pilots in Nightmare Apatheia. There will certainly be several masters from Britannia, and I hope you look forwards to it!