Back to when YaoMing and GuoZhao left the kids and headed for the study…
They headed along a corridor, decorated with an assortment of different display cases containing rare plants or bones. Additional scrolls of detailed illustrations of the human anatomy hung across the walls in an alternative sequence to the display cases. The rest of the space was painted in a deep red and black. Up front at the end of the hallway was a double door. It was engraved with floral patterns and phoenix insignias; the carved out trenches were filled with a metal that was as shiny as gold, bringing incredible value to it. GuoZhao expected this much from a successful pharmacist and was left unfazed. The servant behind him held a pearl-white porcelain kettle with matching teacups. A fragrant aroma rose out of the kettle that was different from the tea leaves he grew back in Bai village.
Approaching closer, YaoMing pulled out a key and unlocked the room with several metal clicks. Spreading the doors out, the interior was something that GuoZhao did not expect from the theme of the door and hallway. The room was constructed like a large square with reinforcements at the corners. The walls were a dull brown and several large candles with scented filters were placed throughout the office, dimly illuminating the encompassing black. YaoMing picked up a candelabra on top of the cabinet in front of the door and raised it high. The emitted rays lightened several long and tall columns of bookshelves, housing hundreds of text and scrolls. In a blurry glance up front, an observable outline of long sofas and a desk stood at the center of the room at the end of the length of the bookshelves. More of them continued behind the desk and into the darkness.
‘He is an intellectual through and through’ GuoZhao acknowledged in surprise.
Sitting on the opposite long sofas respectively, they maintained eye contact with each other. The servant gently placed the kettle and cups on the table and poured in the tea with professional grace. The sound of the liquid echoed throughout the office and promptly stopped. It was pindrop silence.
The servant bowed deeply before making her way out of the study and towards the kitchen. The clacking of her shoes diminished as she walked off at an orderly pace.
The first to move was YaoMing. He brought up the cup towards his mouth and blew a draught of air across the surface, ripples formed in its wake. Glancing at the steadily clear brown tea, he drank a sip.
“Don’t hesitate to speak your thoughts, Mr Zhang. This room was built in such a way that it is soundproof from the outside world. Anything important in this conversation will only be heard by the two of us. I can assure you.”
“Looks like another introduction is not in session…Then let me get straight to the point. I wish to reestablish ties with the villages residing near the Bai river basin which certainly includes DongBu. My village will accept trade from any of the villages in regards to rice, bamboo and mountain fox fur as that’s what we only have in surplus. I will also initiate contact just like today’s example and further discussion will start from there, starting first from Mr Xu.”
A pause. YaoMing drank a mouthful. It tasted warmer.
“On the second week of January.”
Realizing what he meant, YaoMing proceeded with caution.
“...How many will be there?”
“All the village leaders will be there for the grand celebration, hosting the merrymaking for the departure of Winter and the arrival of Spring. While this looks to be a joyous ceremony for all the Bai river villagers, in actual fact, this is just a chance for the leaders to discuss future prospects and objectives in secret.”
“Why take such lengths?”
“Only the meetings with the Luo ChengShi Mayor are legalized. Any other gatherings without him would be breaking the Code Under Heaven.”
“So you used the front of a prosperous festival to remove suspicion.”
“Yes.”
“Please allow me a seat as the representative of the Bai village.”
“I apologize that we cannot do so. Instead, we could allow your attendance as an honored guest. The talks will judge your standing afterwards.”
“Are you sure they will agree to this?”
“No matter, Mr Zhang. I always play a major role in those meetings so all they can do is comply.”
“I thank you for this opportunity.”
“That comes from our side as well. We are always curious about the innovative farming methods that your village came up with which was improved to perfection from generation to generation. Even if those teachings would prove to be ineffective on lower, flatter land, it is still fortunate to have another reliable food source.”
“That is too much flattery on your end, Mr Xu.”
“No it’s not.”
The tea was lukewarm as YaoMing drank again. This time with more mouthfuls.
“Why don’t you drink your cup, Mr Zhang? Cold tea is not ideal for flavorful consumption, especially of this type.”
He continued to gulp down the rest of the tea, leaving the leaf bits at the bottom.
GuoZhao watched as YaoMing placed the empty cup back onto its plate. He then pulled a handkerchief out of his pockets and wiped his mouth dry.
“Pardon me for the delay. Back to the trading negotiations, you plan to give that cart of yours as a token of friendship, isn’t that right?”
“Exactly. It contains 6 barrels of rice, 10 bamboo stalks and 10 fur pelts. Consider it as proof of quality and good will from me on behalf of the village.”
“While sorting and distributing this gift is easy on my part, the true contract could only be forged with the approval of the other DongBu council members and let’s say, they are extremely busy at the moment.”
“I can see where you are getting at,” GuoZhao sympathized, eyeing at the piles of books on the main desk.
“Therefore, they will most likely meet you in at least a week’s time. It will take place at the Centre Hall. The name itself is self explanatory.”
“Mr Xu.”
“Yes, what other business do you seek me for?”
“None of that unfortunately, this was my only objective for today…But I would like to ask something?”
“Speak.”
“I have a gut feeling that this is too easy. Not only were you so helpful to meet my demands, you never spoke out against or even questioned the idea of rebuilding old relationships. And seeing how much of an academic you are, I would be honestly shocked if you didn’t know the gist of the strife between our ancestors. For that reason, what are you playing here, Doc?”
“Doc? Ha! You’re quite the thinker, aren’t you, Farmer?”
GuoZhao flinched at the sudden sense of insult.
“Must’ve struck a nerve there for you to remove that stoic demeanor. What’s going on in this village? No…this may affect the entire river basin. Has it got something to do with the Mayor? To such the extent where you readily accept help from a settlement of a long lost ‘family’ that essentially deserted your ancestors. Wait, ‘betrayed’ might be the better word for you.”
“That might work for the other council members but I was just surprised with the name-calling. However, I do see some sense in your assumption. You are not wrong.”
“Out with it then.”
YaoMing raised the kettle and poured a refill of tea into his empty cup. Blowing the surface, he then drank the whole thing full. He sighed a breath of hot air.
“Taxes are increasing and a large wave of refugees are heading south from the Northern provinces.”
“Why’s that so?”
“The Khitan Nomads are showing signs of conquest to the Middle Kingdom.”
“Khitan…Nomads?”
“They are the descendants of the Northern barbarians from the founding of the First Kingdom.”
“Recalling that now, I overheard ReZhui revising about the topic after dinner on several occasions. It was quite the captivating legend about the superhuman martial artists and the Heavenly Blessing.”
“It’s real though. The Seven Swords of Light.”
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“My heavens! So are they the reason?”
“We digress but the answer is no. Numerous rumors began spreading throughout the provinces that the Imperial Court is organizing a makeshift military force of 100,000 to reinforce the protection of the Great Wall. All men above the ages of 18 and under 30 were forced to be conscripted. Luckily, the Royal Guard hasn't reached this province yet but it may come someday. With that, we will lose more than half our total workforce and necessary job replacements will remain vacant.”
“That would mean less food to harvest and it’s not because of the crops themselves but the lack of people to reap the stalks. Horrible.”
“That’s not the whole picture yet, Mr Zhang. The establishing army needed funding and as the village leaders suspected, the Court officials were reluctant to reduce their salary from the Royal Treasury. So, they decided instead to increase the taxes on the citizens by 10% to satisfy the costs of maintaining an army.”
“DAMN IT!!!” GuoZhao exclaimed in disgust. His fist slammed the cold, hard ebony coffee table in front of him. The sound shuddered and echoed throughout the silent room. Yet, only the two of them can hear the pain in his curse.
“WHY DIDN’T THE EMPEROR DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS!!! IS HE THAT INCOMPETENT!!!”
“Enough GuoZhao! This anger won’t change anything and may affect your health and mental judgment afterwards due to your age. Calm yourself.”
Listening well to the doctor’s words, he sat down with a loud thud and gave a long exhale.
“Even in this situation, you still care for a person's well-being. What dedication is that!?” GuoZhao smirked amusingly in shame, hoping to lighten the mood.
“It's been my dream job ever since I was a kid, you see. And now, it is my greatest achievement that my dear daughter strives to go higher in the same field even if she is a woman. She would most likely get ostracized by the Medicinal Guild just like any other women practitioner but the passion in her eyes…I will tell her sometime into the future.”
“To let her live her dream momentarily, even if it is for a decade, before informing her the cold hard truth of society. What a harsh but doting father.”
“She might get rejected into getting an official license but to halt the desire of practicing medicine is one that no person could stop.”
“But I am sure it wouldn’t be easy to keep the fire going.”
“It will either break her completely or remake her resolve for change to sore into new heights. Despite that, I am willing to take the risk. I trust my daughter.”
GuoZhao took a long gaze at the man and reached out for his cup of cold tea.
“Hmmm…Good,” GuoZhao complimented as he took a sip.
He continued to swallow the rest in large gulps, finishing it in under a minute.
“...It’s better when it’s warmer though. Please pour another fill.” YaoMing extended his hand towards the kettle, his voice brightening up.
“It’s my pleasure to give it a try.”
As he did so, a wave of soothing bliss entered the old farmer’s body.
“It works like a charm. Very relaxing indeed.”
“Very formal, aren’t we?” YaoMing retorted.
The two continued with the small idle chatter before GuoZhao reopened the conversation.
“You didn’t answer my question before, Mr Xu. What’s going on with the Emperor right now?”
“Do you remember the news of the crowning of the first prince 7 years ago?”
“So, you’re saying that he made an immature decision?”
“No, I would say so if the prince is currently a bright, young man but he is now nothing but a 9 year old puppet figure and a propaganda tool for the masses. He has no power in the matters regarding running the kingdom and is currently thrown around by his closest ministers.”
“Corrupt officials…What about the public? What do they have to say about this development?”
“Now, nothing. The upcoming war has diverted their attention away from the infighting and hypocrisy of our government. However, I do not blame them for such actions. But, considering we are located relatively farther away from the North than the Imperial Capital, I am now hoping to do something about this by bringing it up in the Winter and Spring Festival.”
“So is that why the other council members had such a busy schedule? To prepare for something you had planned.”
“Not in the slightest. It all has to do with the Luo ChengShi Mayor. He was the one who introduced the increased taxes into the Merchant Guild of the Bai river basin and is suspected to have ties to the Imperial Court.”
“...”
“You should know that all the villages are monitored and under the control of the Castle Cities nearby. While that allows us the citizenship benefits such as much easier trading and traveling as well as guaranteed protection from the Royal Army, we were made to pay a yearly ‘tribute’ to the Castle City that is the extension of the Imperial Capital. Shortly after the unification of the First Kingdom, a small portion of the Royal Army came to the river basin and forced my ancestors to surrender under their flag. Their military might far surpassed the troops of farmers and craftsmen that made up the villages’ army back in the day. Despite that, their interference sprouted out a unified agreement of ceasefire between the villagers, resulting in today. We were always successful in making the deadline and the benefits outweigh the bad so we were complacent towards the Castle Cities’s rule. That is until now…”
“What did he do?”
“The Mayor was appointed just the year before, right after the former one was executed for unknown reasons and we had no say in this change. That was when things started to fall here and there.
Firstly, the taxes were increased as I said earlier but the annual fee was switched to a different arrangement. A monthly tribute was put in place with half the annual value. Moreover, reports of mysterious vanishings started to surface which included potential victims ranging from as young as an infant to the ripe age of the elderly. At first, this was only within the lower social classes but ever since the disappearance of SeiWong, the Star Merchant, shopkeepers and larger families were reported with missing family members.
Secondly, there happens to be more gang activities on the outskirts and out in the forests. In response, the council is hectic with paperwork regarding recruitment and organizing wide-scale operations to track down these debt collectors and human traffickers. Requesting aid from the Royal Army stationed at Luo ChengShi was denied unfortunately.”
“Again…Why’s that?” GuoZhao was fuming with barely-kept rage.
“The current army reserves at these cities are to remain ready for immediate deployment to the battlefield in case the main force is annihilated. Apparently, they were too busy with the war that they would have to glance over promised duties offered by the kingdom in the first place.”
YaoMing finished his explanation, a hint of disdain displayed in his ending tone.
“Before I continue, anything else to ask?”
He raised his tea cup and drank several sips, waiting for GuoZhao’s reply.
“Something doesn’t add up here. When the Royal Army was dispatched to the river basin centuries ago, surely they would have some list of the people living there which includes the village leaders themselves.”
“...”
“Why didn’t they go after the Bai villagers and subjugate them like the rest of you? It is a disbelief that they would gloss over the absence of the Bai village when it used to be the dominant village in the area.”
“The supreme commander of the villages’ coalition, a former friend and rival of the Bai chieftain, declared their supposed victory over your village and explained the disappearance as an example of slaughter for a display of power. He even made fake graves as proof.”
“So…does that mean-”
“Yes, he lied to them. Fortunately, the general in charge didn’t press further investigations and eliminated the Bai village off the official map. As an apology for wrongfully waging a pointless war which stretched for years, he fabricated a story to protect your peace and freedom throughout the generations. Just as what your ancestor’s last wish was to him before they separated at their final battle. That’s what we were told.”
“Wow…” GuoZhao didn’t see that coming, “Anyhow, this fact alone reinforces my goals to help you guys. For 40 years, I had always resented my ancestors’ enemies for leaving us up there without any reconciliation. But, they actually did.”
Although GuoZhao wanted to smile at this reveal, the overarching situation seemed too dire to relax his thoughts. His tense emotions remained hot. Despite his vengeance, there was a small part of him that said to run away…
‘What the hell am I thinking here? Abandoning the people that were the children of the saviors who prevented human greed from stepping into my village. What a bad person I am to even think of such an approach.’
GuoZhao convinced himself that was the wrong way. He said to himself a couple of harsh words to express his disappointment at his stubborn subconscious. Obviously, the devil’s side of him opposed such actions.
‘Isn’t hypocrisy within human nature? You have seen plenty of examples of this in the last hour from the Mayor to the Imperial Ministers. Wouldn’t you think it is unfair that a morally just person like you cannot use such the opportunity. All you have to do is kill Mr Xu and the Elder right now. Remove any witnesses that you ever came to this town. The servants don’t matter and the council members are too busy dealing with their own problems with the Mayor. Remain in the mountains forever. Why stress yourself out for such a noble cause? There is no need to support them when your village is completely out of the Emperor’s radar. You’re old, GuoZhao. Time to rest and go back to sleep.’
‘But…’
‘FAMILY’
‘Family?’
‘Yes, family. If you bite more than you can chew, it’s your village that gets burned down along with the others. All those Bai villagers that you treat as close as family will die a most certain agonizing death for going against the Emperor’s orders. That includes you as well. Your sons. Your wife…’
‘ENOUGH!!! STOP PLAYING WITH MY HEAD!’
‘Hurry then. Your chance to choose my choice is running out of time.’
‘OUT!!!’
‘Alright. Time’s up. Good luck, Hero…’
A voice came into his head. A blurry call for his name started to become much clearer.
“-ao…”
“Wha”
“Zhang GuoZhao! Are you alright?!”
He saw the doctor in quite the distress. Mr Xu reached out for his shoulders, trying to bring him back from his deep thoughts.
“Mr Zhang, are you alright?” he asked again.
“Sorry… Just overwhelmed slightly. Please give me a moment.”
GuoZhao rubbed his temple and winced his eyes.
“I should also apologize for the information overload. It is already impressive that you are still taking this far deep in,” YaoMing considered.
“Let’s get on with it then. I’m ready…”
“Thank you for your dedication, Mr Zhang. First and foremost, starting with your vil-”
Loud thunder cracked at a greater intensity, penetrating through the thick walls. The rain outside started to pick up and the rapid vibrations could be heard inside as well. The servant from earlier broke into the room and sprinted across the columns of books, screaming out an urgent message.
“MASTER XU, PLEASE COME OUTSIDE. MR SUN QUANYONG IS HERE!!!”
“What!” Mr Xu instinctively got out of his seat, making a face full of horror. He left GuoZhao on hold and hurriedly followed the servant outside.
“Wait, what’s going on?”
Frustrated, GuoZhao ran after the two of them.
‘ReZhui, I hope you are alright.’