In the Crown Kingdom in the Peace Province in the Jasmine City, Zixin Quon, the emperor of the Chinese Empire, enjoys his time with Empress Xiulan Yongnian. The couple now has matchless access to all the luxuries of life. They enjoy all sorts of delicious food; they wear the finest clothes; they own the most precious and beautiful jewelry; they ride the best carriages and other means of transportation; they live in the best palaces in the Chinese Empire; and moreover, an army of maids and servants working under their supervision and at their service and command to provide them with the utmost comfort and care.
Recently, the armies of Zixin across the five kingdoms have suffered some losses resulting from different attacks from the dissident armies of the deposed government. These attacks were in the form of guerrilla warfare. The dissident armies stationed several ambushes to kill the soldiers of Zixin. As a result, the death toll increased among the armies of Zixin. The dissident armies form a major headache for Zixin at the moment and he wants to find a way to counteract their power and influence.
Currently, the dissident armies have different leaders who set military plans without coordination with one another. In other words, there is no single authority that directs, coordinates and controls the efforts of the dissident armies. The leaders of the dissident armies are smart and powerful generals who have their utter allegiance to the deposed emperor, Wei Jian. After the death of Emperor Wei Jian, their allegiance is automatically shifted to the Crown Prince of the deposed government, Yueliang Jian, the only son of the deposed emperor. These generals are ready to work under the command of Yueliang and unite their efforts under his authority. However, this is not the option for the time being. This stems from the fact that the Ministry of Intelligence of the deposed government keeps the location of Yueliang Jian, Taiyang Jian and Junjie Song as the top secret to ensure their safety and security. They want minimal communication and interaction with Yueliang, Taiyang and Junjie so that there is less possibility that they are discovered and captured. The Ministry of Intelligence believes in this rule of thumb and applies it well: “Increased communication leads to increased exposure and increased exposure leads to increased dangers.” Based on this rule of thumb, the Ministry of Intelligence enjoined the leaders of the dissident armies to plan and execute their plans according to their discretion with little or no communication with or supervision from the Ministry of Intelligence.
The magical stick of Zixin opens for Zixin unlimited possibilities. He already planned to get the most out of it, realize its true potential and harness it for his interests to the fullest. In order to eradicate or at least weaken the dissident armies, Zixin thought about an intelligent policy that reflects extraordinary generosity that is backed by his magical stick. This policy truly represents the carrot and stick principle. The carrot and stick principle “combines a promised reward with a threatened penalty” [W-3]. Therefore, Zixin issued an imperial edict that calls all the leaders and soldiers of the dissident armies to surrender to him. Anyone who surrender to Zixin will get four rewards. First, he/she will be pardoned for being a dissident. Second, he/she will be given a monetary reward of 10000 golden taels. Third, he/she will officially be given the opportunity to join the official army of Zixin. Third, if the leader or the solider joins the army of Zixin, he/she will be given the generous wage that Zixin prescribed for his soldiers which is triple the amount of the regular wage that was paid in the reign of Emperor Wei Jian. This lucrative offer of Zixin was coupled with a severe threat. Anyone who refuses to surrender to Zixin and chooses to remain in the dissident armies will have two punishments. First, if he/she is captured, he/she certainly will be killed. Second, all his/her properties will be confiscated by the government of Zixin. After Zixin had lunch with his wife, Xiulan, they discussed the new imperial edict with its consequences as follows:
Zixin: Xiulan, what do you think about the new imperial edict?
Xiulan: It reflects your great wisdom that I have always admired. However, the quality of a decision should be judged according to the consequences it produces. We need to see how soldiers in the dissident armies react to this imperial edict and whether they will take advantage of it as we planned.
Zixin: True. A theoretical decision should be judged according to the practical results it yields. I have great hope that the outcome of my imperial edict will be positive and fruitful.
Xiulan: When soldiers weigh the benefits and harms of your imperial edict, they should be inclined to forsaking the dissident armies and joining your army. A myriad of soldiers fight for their personal interests and once they realize that their interests are in being with us, they will render their allegiance to us.
Zixin: Soldiers with weak allegiance to Emperor Wei Jian will join my army. However, I am worried about soldiers with strong allegiance to the deposed emperor. Those soldiers are faithful to their cause and will not be altered by circumstances. Those obstinate soldiers will be a thorn in the flesh. The only solution to deal with those soldiers is to exterminate them.
Xiulan: Since you have the power, you should be able to do so.
Zixin: No, Xiulan. The matter is not as simple as you described. Those soldiers are hiding in the mountains and forests and they are well-prepared to fight to death in these difficult terrains. If they continue to launch attacks on us and station ambushes for our soldiers, they will drain us of power over time, use up our energy and bring us to exhaustion.
Xiulan: I see. So I guess this is the inevitable price of the coup that you have to pay, to have dissidents and enemies that spoil our happiness.
Zixin: That is right. Achieving political perfection is nearly impossible. Exercising politics is guaranteed to raise enemies over time. Those who oppose your policies will be your enemies either in public or in private.
Xiulan: If it is impossible to live without enemies, let us then ensure that they hurt us minimally. This is basic logic.
Zixin: I admire your thinking. The only way to defeat an enemy is to be stronger and smarter than him/her. I will take every step to deplete their resources and force them into a dead end.
Xiulan: I hope you will succeed in what you intend to achieve.
Zixin: Thank you, my sweetheart. Let us hope that tomorrow will be better than today.
The imperial edict of Zixin was indeed fruitful. As the news spread among soldiers of the dissident armies across the five kingdoms, they started to reconsider their choices and the pertinent outcomes. The vast majority of soldiers chose to stay in the dissident armies since they consider Zixin and his soldiers their archenemies. Their love, loyalty and allegiance to the deposed emperor Wei Jian is undivided. Another faction of soldiers chose to defect from the dissident armies and join Zixin's army. A third faction of soldiers chose to defect from the dissident armies and live a civil life in peace away from war and its woes. The imperial edict of Zixin was like a magnet that pulled so many soldiers away from the dissident armies, resulting in a remarkable reduction in the number of soldiers who are the enemies of Zixin. The following table shows statistics about the dissident armies and the effect of the imperial edict.
The Kingdom
The Dissident Armies
Defected Soldiers who Joined Zixin's Army
Defected Soldiers who Chose a Civil Life
The Dissident Armies After Defections
The Crown
7500
1500
1000
5000
The Pearl
9000
1500
1500
6000
The Ruby
8500
500
2000
6000
The Star
7000
1000
2000
4000
The Cloud
9500
2000
1500
6000
Total
41500
6500
8000
27000
As a result of the imperial edict, the dissident armies shrank hugely from 41500 to 27000 soldiers. A total of 6500 soldiers defected from the dissident armies and joined Zixin's army while a total of 8000 soldiers defected from the dissident armies and decided to live a civil life away from war and its harsh life conditions. The total number of defected soldiers is 14500.
Receiving the Sample of Golden Taels
In the Rainbow City in the Silk Province in the Star Kingdom, Junjie Song, the Imperial Minister of the Ministry of Intelligence of the deposed government, received the sample of golden taels that was sent to him by Yingjie Zhuang, the Deputy Imperial Minister of Intelligence of the deposed government. The sample consisted of 100000 golden taels that were captured as a result of the ambush. Junjie was greatly happy and grateful for this achievement. He now has this sample of golden taels that were converted from stones to raw gold then to golden taels based on the occult magic of Zixin. Junjie shared the good news with Yueliang Jian and Taiyang Jian in the following conversation:
Junjie: Yueliang, Taiyang, I have a good news to share with you!
Yueliang and Taiyang: What? We are full of enthusiasm to hear your news!
Junjie: The sample of golden taels obtained based on the occult magic of Zixin has safely arrived. We now have 100000 golden taels to examine and investigate.
Yueliang: That is great. This is the first step in demystifying the magic of Zixin.
Taiyang: I am really happy. This sample will pave the road for discovering the tricks of Zixin.
Junjie: What do you think we should do with this sample now?
Yueliang: I think the first thing we should do is to inquire of magicians in this city about what technique Zixin has used to obtain his magical stick that converts stones to gold. If this occult magic technique can be duplicated, we might be able to have our own magical stick and rival with Zixin on an equal basis.
Taiyang: That is a good idea. But what if the occult magic technique that Zixin employs is unknown by other magicians? He will have an exceptional advantage over us in that case.
Junjie: I like your quick-wittedness. There are many possibilities and we need to rule out impractical ones. Let us go to the magicians of the Rainbow City and inquire of them so that we know for sure what our options are.
Junjie, Yueliang and Taiyang went to a lot of magicians in the Rainbow City and asked them about the possible interpretations of the existence of a magic technique that converts stones to raw gold. Here is a snapshot of their conversation with the first magician:
Yueliang: Dear magician, have you ever heard about a magic technique that converts stones into raw gold?
The magician: That is the dream of every magician. Unfortunately, this magic technique does not exist. This is because magic has inherent limitations. One of the inherent limitations of magic is that it cannot change the intrinsic properties of matter. In other words, magic cannot change the intrinsic properties of stone into the intrinsic properties of gold. In the imaginary literature, there is a concept known as the philosopher's stone. Are you familiar with it?
Junjie: The philosopher's stone? What is it?
The magician: The philosopher's stone is “an imaginary stone, substance or chemical preparation believed to have the power of transmuting baser metals into gold and sought by alchemists” [W-4].
Junjie: This is the first time I hear about it. Thank you for the information.
Taiyang: But what if the magic technique that converts stones into raw gold exists?
The magician: Assuming that the impossible can be made possible, in that case the magician who knows this magic technique will be the luckiest magician on earth. He will be the richest man on earth, I guess.
Yueliang, Taiyang and Junjie thanked the magician and left. After that, they inquired of 29 more magicians. To cut a long story short, every magician told them similar information like the first magician. In other words, there is unanimity among the magicians that it is impossible that a magic technique exists that converts stones into raw gold. Yueliang, Taiyang and Junjie became very upset and frustrated as they now know that Zixin has access to an occult magic technique that no other magician knows about or has access to. This makes their mission in defeating Zixin much more difficult. Here is a snapshot of the conversation between the three:
Yueliang: It is clear now that Zixin knows a secret that no other magician knows. It is theoretically impossible that we compete with Zixin in his occult magic technique.
Taiyang: I am really sad that we cannot have our own magical stick that converts stones into raw gold.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Junjie: All the magicians agreed that if such an occult magic technique exists, the magician who knows it will be the luckiest magician on earth. No one of them knows that Zixin already knows such a magic technique.
Yueliang: Let me supplement this statement for completeness: a magician who knows how to convert stones into raw gold will be the luckiest and richest person on earth if he is smart enough and if circumstances help him enough. This is the case with Zixin. Not only has he become the luckiest and richest person on earth, he has also become the most powerful person on earth. He already overthrew the emperor of the Chinese Empire and usurped the throne. If he is given enough time and resources, he might expand to become the most powerful ruler of the earth.
Junjie: Our mission has now become much more difficult. With his magical stick, Zixin has access to virtually unlimited money supply and he is making the most out of his magical stick by issuing imperial edicts that attract people toward him.
Yueliang: At all events, I will never surrender to him even if it costs me my life.
After a while, the news of the imperial edict of Zixin that is based on the carrot and stick principle has arrived to Junjie and after he realized the remarkable defections that happened among the dissident armies, he was greatly sad and down. He sees and notices how circumstances favor Zixin and that everything so far works in accord with Zixin's interests. Junjie shared the news with Yueliang and Taiyang and they had the discussion as follows:
Junjie: I have a new bad news. The dissident armies shrank tremendously from 41500 to 27000 soldiers. A total of 14500 defected after the imperial edict of Zixin.
Yueliang: I am really angry. Soldiers should fight for a noble cause and not for money. They should not fluctuate with circumstances like a chameleon.
Taiyang: Yueliang, calm your anger. We do not need disloyal soldiers to fight for our cause. We can only achieve victory with faithful soldiers who fight for the principle, not for money or their own interests.
Yueliang: I agree with you, Taiyang. But the problem is that the fewer the soldiers we have, the fewer our chances of vanquishing Zixin. At the end of the day, soldiers on the battleground are the ones who achieve victory and write history.
Junjie: Although we are all deeply depressed because of the circumstances that work best for Zixin and worst for us, we need to remember that “it is always darkest just before the dawn.”
Graduation from the Merlin School
The two years of the Body and Mind Growth Program at the Merlin School has finished for Yueliang, Taiyang, Junjie, Liling Heng, Mei Shun and the other fifteen students. They all completed the program requirements with excellence. Now they all have outstanding skills in swordsmanship, archery, horsemanship, politics, economy and philosophy. During these two years, Yueliang, Taiyang and Junjie built valuable friendships with their colleagues in the program. Today is the graduation day for these students. The Merlin School is hosting a convocation ceremony to celebrate the amazing achievements of its students. In the ceremony, there will be trophies and graduation certificates. In addition, the Merlin School will host an open buffet for students and staff that blends a myriad of dishes from the authentic Chinese cuisine. The ceremony has begun and all students received their trophies and graduation certificates. There was a very nice surprise for Yueliang and Taiyang: Yueliang was selected as the Ideal Male Student and Taiyang was selected as the Ideal Female Student in this batch. They were both awarded splendid swords for this marvelous achievement.
Liqin Bowen, the old friend of Junjie's father and the owner of the Merlin School delivered a graduation speech for this important occasion as follows:
“Dear Students and Staff,
Today marks the end of the Body and Mind Growth Program at the Merlin School which lasted for two years. I am extremely happy to hear about your exceptional achievements during these two years. You all worked very hard and diligently to meet the requirements of this program. Not only have you met the requirements of the program, but you have also exceeded the expectations with your patience, courage, determination and vigor. Remember that the value of a human being is judged mainly by the amount of knowledge and skills he/she has and how he/she transforms these knowledge and skills into beneficial practical outcomes. Remember that it is not sufficient to learn. You need to learn and improve yourself, your society and your environment. I want you to serve the Chinese nation as much as you can with all what you have learned at the Merlin School. I am certain that the future bodes well for you and that a myriad of great accomplishments await you down the road.
Defend yourselves, your families, your loved ones and those needing your help with the skills you learned in the swordsmanship, archery and horsemanship courses. Ascend the ladder of influence with the skills you acquired in the politics, economy and philosophy courses. Compete with integrity and honesty and surpass your competitors. Never surrender to difficult circumstances or predicaments and remember that there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Acknowledge your weaknesses and work to overcome them. Do not be led by greed or selfishness. Treat everyone with respect and care. Shun things that tarnish your reputations. Cherish your dignity and the dignities of others. Complement one another and be exemplars of perfection.
During your studies at the Merlin School, you formed new friendships. Value those friendships the utmost and build bridges of communication and collaboration with your friends. What you cannot achieve alone can be achieved with the assistance of your friends. Although today is the end of your journey at the Merlin School, your new journey in the real world begins. I wish you every success in the future and I hope to hear about your great achievements from time to time. Thank you so much your all your hard work and commitment and let us now celebrate and have lunch together.”
The students and staff then celebrated the event with some Chinese music and dancing. They also enjoyed the open buffet so much. The convocation ceremony was a memorable event for every student and staff member. Moments of great achievements are engraved on everyone's heart. These moments boost the morale in times of hardships and crises.
Taiyang's Dream
One night, Taiyang was asleep and she saw an insightful dream that she will never forget. In her dream, she saw herself fastened and roped to a wooden column and around her there is a circular trail of woods and hay. She saw Zixin approaching her with a torch and then he set fire to the circular trail of woods and hay around her. Then Zixin departed leaving Taiyang to suffer the pain of burning. Taiyang started to cry and shout: “Help me! Help me! Help me! I do not want to die burning.” After a while, a man wearing white clothes came toward Taiyang with a bucket full of water and he started to extinguish the fire around Taiyang. His bucket is blessed and never runs out of water. It keeps pouring water incessantly as if it never depletes. With his blessed bucket, the good man put out all the fire around Taiyang and then he moved toward the column where Taiyang is fastened and roped. The man untied Taiyang and freed her. Taiyang was extremely happy so she said to the man: “Thank you so much! Who are you?” The man smiled to Taiyang and then he left silently.
Taiyang then woke up remembering every detail of the dream. She was astonished by this beautiful dream and wished to interpret it correctly and successfully. She started to think deeply and analyze the elements of the dream over the subsequent days. After a while, she reached a nice interpretation of her dream. Here is a snapshot of her train of thought: “Zixin is my enemy and he certainly wanted to harm me. He wanted to kill me by burning. Then a good man came to rescue me from fire. The man extinguished the fire with his blessed bucket that never runs out of water. Water is the antithesis of fire. Water has the reverse effect of fire. Water puts out fire. Could it be that the fire is a symbol of Zixin's occult magic that caused great disasters for us? If that is the case, then what is water? It must be something that will nullify the magic of Zixin. Yes, I found it! Instead of us trying to learn the magic of Zixin and compete with him in his magic, why do not we search for a way to nullify the magic of Zixin? There could be a way to nullify the magical stick of Zixin and prevent him from going further with his magic. If the magical stick of Zixin no longer works, he will be in a great predicament. If he fails to convert stones into raw gold with his magical stick, he will certainly be in short of money to cover the costs of his soldiers and projects. Yes, I found it! This is a beautiful and convincing interpretation of my dream. I should share my ideas with Yueliang and Junjie and move forward from there.”
After Taiyang found a good interpretation of her dream, she shared the dream with Yueliang and Junjie. Both admired her dream and her interpretation of the dream.
Yueliang: That is really an inspiring dream. It fuels us with optimism.
Junjie: What a great dream! We should shift our thinking from trying to find our own magical stick like Zixin to trying to nullify the magical stick of Zixin. Your dream gave us a great hint and guidance. Thank you so much, Taiyang.
Taiyang: You are most welcome. I hope there will be a way to nullify the magic of Zixin and therefore forcing Zixin into a tight corner.
Yueliang: I heard of magic before but I have not heard of nullifying magic yet. What could be the ways to nullify magic?
Junjie: Likewise. I think our first step should be asking magicians about the possibilities of nullifying magic.
Taiyang: I have an idea. Let us have 100 golden taels taken from the sample of golden taels that was produced by Zixin's magic and then we visit magicians to ask them about the possibilities of nullifying magic. If any magician knows about nullifying magic, we present the 100 golden taels to him/her covered inside a pouch and ask him to nullify the magic for us. If the magician succeeds in converting the 100 golden taels back into 100 stones, then this is our sought-after magician.
Yueliang: That is a great idea, Taiyang. We should not let the magician knows about or see what is inside the pouch. We will just say to him/her: “Inside this pouch there are bewitched objects. Can you nullify the magic for us so that the bewitched objects return to their normal state and shape?”
Junjie: I liked what you both proposed. I hope we will be able to reach a decisive solution and find a fruitful outcome out of this endeavor. Let us execute this plan once you are ready.
Yueliang: We are ready. I cannot wait to meet the magicians!
Taiyang: Let us begin our journey in quest for a solution.
Yueliang, Taiyang and Junjie began to visit different magicians asking them about their knowledge in nullifying magic. Some magicians admitted that they do not know of a way to nullify magic. Some magicians claimed to know specific charms, spells and rituals that might nullify magic. However, when these magicians were put under the practical test suggested by Taiyang, they failed. In other words, whenever a magician claimed to know specific charms, spells and rituals that might nullify magic, Taiyang would present to him/her a pouch with 100 golden taels taken from the sample of golden taels that were converted from stones to raw gold by Zixin's magic. Then Taiyang would ask him/her to apply his/her charm, spell or ritual on this pouch which contains a sample of bewitched objects. After the magician applies his/her charm, spell or ritual on the pouch, Taiyang would go afar and examine the golden taels inside the pouch. After every magician's attempt, the 100 golden taels in the pouch remained the same without any noticeable change. Taiyang would conclude that the charm, spell or ritual of the pertinent magician was ineffective and had no tangible effect on the sample of golden taels inside the pouch. She would consider in that case the magician to fail her practical test and therefore, she would seek a new magician along with Yueliang and Junjie.
After Taiyang, Yueliang and Junjie visited a myriad of magicians in the Rainbow City, they almost reached despair of finding a solution to nullify magic. They arrived at a conclusion that either the magic of Zixin is so strong to the extent that it is impossible to be nullified or there is a method to nullify magic but this method is beyond their knowledge or reach. Taiyang believed in the power of her dream and is still optimistic about her dream and her interpretation of the dream so she will not give up on seeking a way to nullify magic.
Disclosing the True Identities
After Yueliang had a strong love relationship with Liling and after they progressed well in their love journey, Yueliang decided to share his true identity with Liling. Before doing that, he consulted Junjie to take his approval. Junjie said to Yueliang that he is also in a true love relationship with Mei and that he also wishes to share his true identity with Mei. Junjie agreed with Yueliang to share their true identities with Liling and Mei because they are the most trustworthy persons they met in the Rainbow City along with Liqin Bowen.
On a beautiful day, Yueliang had an appointment to meet Liling on the summit of the Pigeon Mountain, one of the prettiest mountains in the Rainbow City. When Yueliang met Liling on the summit, they both held the hands of one another and then hugged each other. Here is s snapshot of the conversation between Yueliang and Liling in which Yueliang shared his true identify with her:
Yueliang: Liling, I love you so much. You love fills my heart completely. Inside my heart there is no space for anyone else.
Liling: Huang, thank you so much for sharing these lovely words with me. Likewise, I love you so much. No one can replace you inside my heart. My love is pure and is completely for you.
Yueliang: Our fate is that we will be lovers and we will be together for the rest of our lives.
Liling: Nothing will separate us in the future. I will cherish every moment with you, my sweetheart.
Yueliang: Liling, I trust you the most and I want to share with you a paramount secret, will you keep this secret for me?
Liling: Huang, certainly I will keep your secret. Please feel free to share it with me. I am all ears.
Yueliang: Liling, I am not Huang Lok. This is only my fake identity to ensure my safety and security.
Liling: Really? Who are you then? Why do you need to keep your identity hidden?
Yueliang: I am Yueliang Jian, the only son of the deposed emperor Wei Jain and the Crown Prince of the deposed government.
Liling: What?! Really?! Are you serious?! Am I in a dream?!
Yueliang: Certainly, I am Yueliang Jian and you are not in a dream.
Liling: My lover is Prince Yueliang Jian. How lucky I am! Meeting you was just a dream for me. [Liling started to cry out of happiness and surprise] I never imagined that our fate was to meet and love one another. Do you know that I once told Mei: “How lucky will be the future wife of Yueliang and the future husband of Taiyang?” At that time, I never thought that my God will allow me to meet you and make us true lovers.
Yueliang: Do not cry, my sweetheart. My happiness for meeting you and falling in love with you is indescribable. I had to hide my true identify from you until our love becomes strong enough to share this secret with you.
Liling: So how about Xiuying Lok and Dingbang Lok? Are they using fake identities as well?
Yueliang: Yes, these are their fake identities. Xiuying Lok is my sister Princess Taiyang Jian and Dingbang Lok is Junjie Song, the Imperial Minister of Intelligence of the deposed government.
Liling: I see. Prince Yueliang, I really do not blame you for hiding this paramount secret from me because you should share such a secret minimally to ensure your safety and security and that of Princess Taiyang and Junjie Song.
Yueliang: Please just call me Yueliang; There is no need for “Prince” or other formal titles. We are lovers and there are no formalities between lovers.
Liling: As you like my sweetheart, Yueliang. I will do whatever delights you. May we have our first historic kiss?
Yueliang: Of course, I am craving to have our first kiss but I was shy before to go that deep in our love relationship.
Liling: Our first kiss has a different taste now since I know that I am kissing Prince Yueliang.
Yueliang: I do not know if our first kiss will set fire to my heart or will put out fire that has been glowing in my heart since I first met you.
Liling: Perhaps it will have these two contrary effects. My heart has been also burning out of yearning for you.
Then Yueliang and Liling had their first mouth kiss that was destined to be in the Pigeon Mountain. Yueliang then kissed Liling on her forehead and two cheeks. Liling then kissed Yueliang on his forehead and two cheeks. Liling could not be happier than these moments when she knew that her lover is Prince Yueliang and that their love is strong and mutual. Yueliang was extremely happy as well to share his true identity with his lover and he knew that Liling will care more for him after she learned about his secret.
Similar to Yueliang and Liling, Junjie shared his true identity with Mei. She was extremely surprised to learn that her lover is the Imperial Minister of Intelligence of the deposed government and to know about the true identities of Yueliang and Taiyang. Mei promised to keep the secret of the true identities of her friends. Then, Yueliang, Taiyang and Junjie decided to invite Liling and Mei for dinner in their house (Liqin Bowen's house) to share more information with them about what happened to them since the coup. Liling and Mei accepted the invitation with enthusiasm and were craving to learn more about the stories of their friends. Liling suggested to Mei to bring gifts for their three friends and Mei agreed to the nice idea. Similarly, Yueliang suggested to bring gifts to Liling and Mei and his offer was approved by Taiyang and Junjie. When Liling and Mei arrived and greeted their friends, they shared their gifts with them. Liling and Mei gifted Yueliang, Taiyang and Junjie garments that they tailored especially for them. Likewise, Yueliang, Taiyang and Junjie gifted Liling and Mei some ornaments and accessories they bought especially for them. The clique (five friends) was very happy for the exchange of beautiful gifts and they thanked one another for the generosity and exquisite selection of gifts. After having the delicious dinner prepared by Taiyang, they had an informative conversation in which Liling and Mei learned more about their friends and their painful and tragic story. Here is a snapshot of the conversation:
Liling: We are very sorry for what happened to you and your families. Yueliang, Taiyang, Junjie, you all lost your families as a result of the coup. We never agreed to the coup and we hate Zixin for his atrocious actions. Our nation loved Emperor Wei Jian and his government for their honesty, integrity and righteousness. Losing our emperor was a shocking news for us all.
Yueliang: Thank you, dear Liling, for your compassionate words that we appreciate a lot. I will never forget what Zixin did to my family, Junjie's family and the rest of the Chinese nation. I will work hard to avenge my loved ones when circumstances become appropriate.
Mei: We are with you heart and soul. We will be by your side at all events. We hope that you will be extricated from the great predicament that Zixin afflicted you with.
Junjie: Thank you so much for your kindness, dear Mei. Although our options are limited now, we still have hope to defeat Zixin in the future.
Liling: So how has Zixin risen to power so quickly?
Taiyang: It is a long story. To cut a long story short, Zixin knows an occult magic technique that enables him to convert stones into raw gold. He has a magical stick that when touches stones, it converts them into raw gold.
Mei: Really? That is incredible! This is the reason then behind the abnormal rise of Zixin to power. Do you have any ideas to thwart Zixin's plans?
Yueliang: We first thought about competing with Zixin in his magical stick. In other words, we thought about having our own magical stick that converts stones to raw gold like Zixin. However, after we spoke with a myriad of magicians, they all agreed that it is impossible for magic to convert stones to gold. Zixin must have found an occult technique that no other magician knows yet. We are completely unaware of his magical technique and how he ended up having this magical stick.
Junjie: Taiyang thought about an intelligent alternative solution which trying to find a technique or way to nullify the magic of Zixin. In other words, she thought about nullifying the magic of Zixin and converting golden taels obtained from the magic of Zixin back to stones. We spoke with plenty of magicians and they disappointed us again since they could not nullify the magic of Zixin.
Liling: Are the magicians aware of the magic of Zixin or the bewitched golden taels that are obtained from the magic of Zixin?
Taiyang: No. This is a top priority secret that only me, Yueliang, Junjie and Liqin know about.
Mei: It is really an intricate situation that even the magicians could not help.
Junjie: We felt like we reached a dead end but we have not lost hope completely.
Yueliang: As the saying goes: “If it were not for hope, the heart would break.”
Liling: Right. I have faith in you and I think you will come with a clever plan to foil Zixin's plans and force him to the wall.
Taiyang: Thank you, Liling. We hope that too.