Seated snugly within the plushly outfitted interiors of a horse-driven carriage were two individuals; the boy emperor Alexandros and his newly admitted teacher, Wuzhi.
"Venerable Emperor, please refer to your lowly servant by my name." Wuzhi helplessly repeated for the hundredth time.
The boy emperor, who possessed a downright gorgeous face, bronze-coloured skin, and silken golden hair, blinked his naïve citrine eyes, and smilingly replied, "Then you must call me by my name; Alexandros."
"I'm afraid that would be inappropriate, Venerable Emperor," Wuzhi tiredly continued with the charade.
"Why?" asked the boy emperor.
"Because etiquette dictates so. A servant must always refer to his lord with the apt title."
"Then that very same 'etiquette' dictates that 'a man must treat his teacher as he would his father.'" The boy emperor recited. He then flashed a cheeky smile towards Wuzhi and spoke. "Isn't that right, Sir Wuzhi?"
The young scholar had no words to refute the boy emperor's words. It was true that a servant must refer to his master by his proper title and it was also true that a man must treat his teacher as he would his father. Neither Wuzhi nor the young emperor was wrong in the current situation.
As a strictly principled person who religiously stuck to his convictions and standards, the current situation was completely unacceptable to Wuzhi.
That being said, a prickly feeling of discomfort assailed Wuzhi.
He was but a normal, mortal scholar. His newly instated liege was the Emperor and future Hegemon of the South Aislu Continent. Their respective statuses were as distant as heaven and earth!
Even though the boy emperor had come to accept Wuzhi as his teacher, the latter had still not come to terms with the ridiculous situation.
Sighing with resignation, Wuzhi finally relented. "…alright. Let's conduct an exchange. Henceforth, Venerable Emperor will refer to Wuzhi as simple 'Wuzhi, while I refer to Venerable Emperor as 'Your Majesty.'"
"Does that satisfy, your majesty?" asked Wuzhi. While this proposition did not completely settle Wuzhi's discomfort, it did help alleviate his condition to some extent.
The boy emperor paused in thought, seemingly evaluating Wuzhi's proposal. After a full minute's worth of pondering, he finally acquiesced. "Alright, fine. I shall accept this, Wuzhi." He immediately called his teacher's name with endearment.
"That settles it, your majesty." Wuzhi too heaved a sigh of relief.
The two of them then sat in awkward silence for a few minutes. Being the veteran conversationalist that he was, Wuzhi immediately brought forth a new topic.
"Your Majesty, I have a question." He then proceeded to stare deeply into the citrine eyes of the boy emperor. Staring into those shallow, innocent pools, he asked, "Why did Your Majesty decide to instate me as your teacher?"
Wuzhi's words possessed a mysterious characteristic that made it seem as if lying was impossible.
The boy emperor, whose shallow pools of wisdom immediately began quaking with nervousness and anxiety, gritted his teeth before honestly admitting.
"Because I am… lost."
The young scholar was confused. "Pardon me, your majesty. But what exactly do you mean by 'lost.'"
A haze of depression appeared around the boy emperor's immaculate features as he deprecatingly hung his head low. With a low, quiet voice, he slowly began to talk.
"Do you know how I happened to become the 'Emperor,' Wuzhi?"
Wuzhi did not reply; he knew that the question was rhetoric.
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"I am neither of age nor am I the eldest amongst my father's descendants. And yet, three months ago, I took the seat as the Emperor of the South Aislan Empire!"
"It has been exactly three months since this living nightmare began!"
"Three months, since my beloved elder sister, the rightful heir to the Seat of the Empire, vanished into the dead of the night! Her condition and whereabouts are unknown."
"Three months, since my honourable father was stabbed in the back by ungrateful and treacherous subjects, who had sold our lands to the hateful foreigners and invited the demon of war into our motherland!"
Wuzhi felt surprised. For the first time since he had met with the young emperor, he felt true, murderous intent radiating from his tiny figure.
"For three whole months, I lived befuddled; a foggy haze covering my mind. I knew not what to do, who to trust, and most importantly, how to go about my duty."
Staring into Wuzhi's eyes, the emperor continued. "I did not wish for this seat, Wuzhi. But now that this seat has come to me, I do not fear it. As a descendent of the mighty Centinni Family, it is my oathbound duty to lead the citizens of my empire and protect our motherland from the avaricious hands of our enemies!"
"The only thing that I fear, is that I will ill-perform this sacred duty."
Lowering his head to hide the growing tears at the corners of his eyes, Alexandros continued with a low and trembling voice.
"I am afraid that with my inexperienced performance, I will harm the lives of my faithful subject and forsake my motherland. I am afraid… so very, very, afraid…" Unable to restrain them, tears poured forth from Alexandros' eyes.
It was then, when the young emperor sank into the depths of his fears, that a strong hand reached forward and firmly gripped him.
Gripping Alexandros' chin, Wuzhi lifted the boy emperor's head to meet his gaze. Staring into his citrine eyes with his argent pair, Wuzhi evenly spoke.
"Be not afraid, young Alexandros of the noble Centinni Family, for the Heavens have sent me to teach and advise you in your duty. For as long as I remain on this earth, you will not fail your oath; be it towards protecting your subject or guarding your motherland!"
"I, Wuzhi, shall be your strongest pillar; your sharpest sword; your sturdiest shield; and, your holiest teacher!"
Alexandros received Wuzhi's words with widened eyes. He then formed a bright, full smile as he smiled through his tears.
"Then I shall obey your every word, live beyond your expectations, and complete my duties in the most perfect manner possible!"
With a vow each, both teacher and student formed the strongest of bonds!
The first step in Wuzhi's 'Grand Strategy' had not been taken in the way that Wuzhi had hoped for it to be taken. Instead, it had been taken, and completed, in a way that far exceeded any of Wuzhi's wildest hopes!
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"Wuzhi, when will you start with my lessons?" the young emperor asked eagerly.
Wearing a calm smile, Wuzhi patiently explained. "Your Majesty, to instruct a ruler, especially one of your station, is by no means an easy task. I must first have a sufficient grasp of your majesty's and your nation's circumstances before imparting a lesson that is tailored towards you."
Having formally accepted Alexandros as his student, Wuzhi was oathbound to play the part of a proper teacher. The young scholar was also serious about his duty.
Unlike his own teacher, who was exceedingly casual and oftentimes unhelpful, Wuzhi vowed to be a proper teacher to Alexandros.
"Oh," the young emperor seemed visibly disappointed. "I see." He then obediently kept to himself.
Gazing at this cute boy, who had an immaculate appearance, Wuzhi felt curious. "Your Majesty, if this servant may ask; how old are you?"
"Yes!" Happy that his teacher was asking him something, Alexandros immediately livened up. "I am thirteen years old." He answered.
Hearing that answer, Wuzhi was surprised. If he had to guess by outward appearance only, the young emperor did not look a touch over nine years old. His maturity, however, was at the level of a young adult.
"I see," muttered Wuzhi. He then continued with another question. "Have you ever cultivated before, your majesty?"
"Well," Alexandros scratched the back of his head, "I did peek into my elder sister's cultivation lessons from time to time. To be honest, I found this whole cultivation business to be dreary and boring."
A bitter smile then formed on his face as he continued. "However, having experienced what I have experienced, I have learnt something; without sufficient power, one will be unable to gain authority. And without sufficient authority, one will be unable to perform one's duties."
Wuzhi quietly listened to the young emperor's words but did not speak against them. Personally, he disagreed with that opinion.
To Wuzhi, cultivation was not a pursuit of power or authority. It was simply a means of freedom. To Wuzhi, who sought freedom and joy above everything else, cultivation was something that fed his desires.
Even his 'Grand Strategy' was built upon this foundation of freedom and joy. He dedicated himself to the pursuit of his 'Grand Strategy' because he found it a fun experience. His ultimate destination, upon the realisation of his 'Grand Strategy,' was to become a free existence unconstrained by everything.
So, while he found Alexandros' thoughts on cultivation disagreeable, he did not speak against them. Ultimately, the life and goals of every person were different. Respecting their choices and supporting their decisions as a teacher was important.
"So, I take it that your majesty has never forayed into the world of cultivation?" asked Wuzhi.
Alexandros nodded his head; his actions looked lovable and cute.
"I shall start with a question then." An interesting glint appeared within Wuzhi's eyes. "Does your majesty know about the 'Foundational Stages?'"