44. One Sun!

While the world burned in the west, the Raja states were being united by the Rajun order. Hundreds of millions would be under one ruler. Radases ruler of all of the Raja states, previously split into 15 kingdoms, now united under one ruler. A large brown haired and brown eyed gentleman, he had 200,000 soldier armies all across his realm. An orange flag with a golden sun now extended all across what were colloquially known as the Raja states.

“Rajun will help our brothers in Lir and Jira and drive out the infidels who trespass on our lands!”

Huge cheers erupted at his words. The large giant of a man put a mace into the air.

“Will we conquer the Zhong empire?” A soldier erupted.

Radases paused for a moment, it was politically unwise to answer one way or another; it would be extremely militarily unwise to wage war against Zhong with Mendek and Yerek not dealt with, but it would be politically unwise to seem weak to his people he had just united, for Raja still had polytheists among them, people who needed to be mobilised with victory. Radases would have to be careful to not seem weak but at the same time use his military resources carefully. His campaigns were the reason Raja forces did not save Poltu, but now he could use a combined force under one ruler to assist the Church of Light. He expanded taxes against the unbelievers and recruited more and more men for the impending war.

“Sir, I hear king Hasan resides in Jira.”

“Jira must accept our rule, the Church of Light is ours to rule by divine right,” Radases said, “if they resist they are unbelievers.”

The clerk looked at his liege with fear and concern at such words.

Are you serious? The clerk thought with panic.

Zhong ruler Dao Ci had been fortifying his border. Building new walls and repelling nomadic groups that pestered his northern border, the news of the new unified Rajun troubled him greatly. Zhong was often more interested in its own politics than anyone else’s. Usually. Dao Ci was only 30, and had inherited the throne, but he had been a relatively good steward of his realm. A tall lean figure with a thin wispy beard that emanated from his chin. Building constantly and listening to a semi competent court. There was bickering at court over religion, but philosophy was more important. Whether the Church of Order, Truth or Light or some other god would come to be the official religion was a constant question; but the court was also interested in whether they would have a centralised appointment system or a permanent aristocracy, powerful clans wanted permanent aristocrats, something akin to what the Church of Order countries had, whereas lower born members of the court wished for an appointment system, which at least could have some meritocracy. The two philosophies of court, a strictly legalist system or a more aristocratic ideology permeated and divided Dao Ci’s court. The legalists dominated by lower class appointees did not want any foreign religion, whereas the aristocrats, powerful families had differing ideas for an official religion. Dao Ci so far had governed with appointees, but to avoid total instability he had appointed many powerful families, a defacto aristocracy. Ifar a Church of Light family that lobbied for the Church of Light to become the official religion, Cao a polytheist family which wanted one of the pagan gods to become the official religion and the Zu family were crypto Church of Order for now simply lobbied aristocrats rights and privileges. Dao Ci would have to arrest the powerful Ifar family if war with Rajun came to be; for how could they be trusted?

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Mendek and Yerek are also a concern, but surely we have no sympathisers with them in our court. They are far too young for any of our lords or retainers to have sympathisers. The peasantry and citizenry are not educated on what Yerek is, but it could be dangerous if they were made aware.

The court separated into a parliament of sorts. The silk tapestries leading to Dao Ci in the centre, and the aristocrats and their supporters on the right and the legalists and their supporters on the left. Even among the meritocrats, they had divisions among those who wanted any lowborn to become part of the king’s council or to demarcate by wealth. Dao Ci looked at the powerful agents of power and slammed his fist.

I can use the appointees to limit the power of the aristocrats. The merchants to limit the power of the more uppity lower appointees. The army to limit the masses.

“As you all well know Radases has united the Raja states into Rajun, this new powerful state could invade us, under my authority as supreme lord of Zhong the Ifar family will have their lands and wealth under the state’s jurisdiction until the threat passes.”

“This is outrageous!” An Ifar clan member shouted, “even if Rajun is Church of Light we don’t have to war with them. You can become Church of Light!”

“Since when does religion dominate our state?” A meritocrat shouted.

“Quiet,” Dao Ci said, “the Ifar family know their ideology is dangerous and yet make these asinine proclamations, it is a dangerous element counter to national security.”

The Ifar clan kept quiet. A Zu family member piped up in a most duplicitous manner.

“What should we do then with their lands, perhaps someone else could manage them.”

“They will become royal lands until the threat has passed,” Dao Ci retorted.

Dao Ci observed his court, and went back to his office to plan fortification.

“Sir, they want to know your plans for war,” a clerk said.

“The Ifar might already be working for Rajun,” Dao Ci said discreetly, “or others.”

Dao Ci stared at his clerk, with a knowing smile.

Perhaps you are the spy for Rajun. You can never know.

Zhong kept a highly sophisticated intelligence network and made religious agents register or be put straight in prison. Zhong’s spies could only uncover so much, and who their real allegiance was to, was always a question.

Radases prepared his army, he kept his populace second guessing, maybe he would invade Zhong, or maybe not. Nonetheless he had only recently solidified Rajun and that meant political machinations. Marching through the tropical rainforests near to the harsher more arid terrains of Lir ready to annex the state in order to unify the Church of Light world. Jira would perhaps be next and after that the infidels to the west. Radases was coming, whether Yerek and Mendek were ready or not.