1 - In A Courtyard
Mid-Winter, 4th year of Jiaqing (1800)
To say that the Jiaqing Emperor was surprised would be discourteous. The holder of the Mandate of Heaven remained outwardly unimpressed when facing the uncommon appearance in the middle of the Imperial courtyard. As he reached the edge of the court, four guards stepped in front of him, which made him frown uncharacteristically.
“Honored emperor, you are not to risk yourself. Two have disappeared already,” one of the guards said apologetically.
“Two?”
“Yes. They…” the man interrupted himself as one of the functionaries rushed there to greet the Emperor.
“I implore you, divine emperor, but do not come closer. It is dangerous,” the man said almost breathlessly.
Yongyan, known to all as the Jiaqing Emperor, waved at the courtyard.
“All I see here is strangeness, but strange is not automatically dangerous.”
Indeed, the sight in front of the Emperor was strange, if not outright comical on some points. The courtyard held a construction that did not come from any of the architects of the Forbidden City. A mighty circle of metal, polished and ornate, covered in heads of all kinds of beasts and birds. A well-made ramp of stone led to the upright circle, filled with a glowing light that shone without hurting one’s eye.
The comical aspect came from a regiment of guards trying to run into the filled disc of light. From what Yongyan could see, each guard that entered the light came back out immediately, running the other way, as if flipped around an invisible axis. Some tried to rush the gate, some hesitated before walking, but all were simply rebuffed.
“What are they doing?” the Jiaqing simply asked.
“They’re trying to rescue the Princess.”
Jiaqing turned his head sharply toward the functionary at that.
“Your daughter, the Princess of Second Rank Zhuangjing was there this morning. She’s visiting, while the palace to host her after her marriage to Prince Sodnamdorji next year is being built.”
“I am aware of that,” the emperor cut curtly.
“This strange circle started to appear as the clouds parted and let the ray of the Sun strike the courtyard. It was as if a celestial forge started pouring an invisible mold. Many heard a celestial singing, strange words echoing from beyond the world, as the circle was cast.”
“That sounds like a great work of the Heavens. No one saw any of the gods?”
“None, Emperor. Once the circle’s metal started cooling, the voices ended and the light came inside. And that was all. So nobody thought it that dangerous. It was a wondrous sign of the heavens, come to bless the Jiaqing’s reign, for the first year as full Emperor.”
Yongyan personally doubted the exactitude of this presage. He was keenly aware that he did not rise to the height of his honored father, the Qianlong Emperor. So why would the heavens honor him? Although the date was close to the anniversary of his father’s death…
“And my… third daughter… was watching.”
“Yes. A few guards looked at the light, but no one could see anything through it, and those who tried to push simply got flipped around.”
“Like those,” the Emperor pointed at the guards now milling around the court.
From the north, another regiment of guards arrived in a trot, and the previous guards moved away, allowing them passage. The first guards rushed the ramp, only to stumble as they suddenly faced a downward ramp instead of the rising on which they’d been.
“Yes. But when she and her maid Lady Chang Ru came closer, the light… vibrated like a drumskin, and it swallowed both of them, and they have not been seen since.”
The Emperor contemplated the antics of the guards for a while.
“And you are trying to see if any of those can enter, where all others have failed.”
“If the Princess has been abducted by spirits, the guards must go and rescue her.”
There was suddenly a clamor from the massed guards, and the minor functionary turned back toward the disc area.
“It looks like one succeeded at entering this… Great Gate,” Jiaqing said.
The Emperor started toward the court proper. The four guards hesitated briefly as he gestured them to step aside. They were sworn to give their lives defending the Emperor against all perils. But if the Emperor commanded… the men wilted under the gaze of their Emperor and meekly joined his escort.
Despite his apparent recklessness, Jiaqing stopped at reaching the edge of the ramp upward to the lighted disc. The functionary rushed back to stand in front of him, hoping to deter his Emperor from what he considered a foolish action.
Jiaqing ignored him and turned to a man bearing the insignia of a head guard.
“Who was it that succeeded?”
The man dug in his memory before answering, “Xing Zan, Divine Emperor. A man from the Chengde palace guard contingent.”
“Any distinctive virtues that might explain why he managed this?”
Another guard, probably more familiar with his colleague, answered.
“None that I know of. He’s strong and dexterous with the spear, but not overly so, and he indulges in the usual soldiers’ vices of copious drink. Although I don’t remember him getting in trouble with women or gambling.”
“So, a good man, but not exceptionally saintly?”
The Emperor turned back toward the lighted disc and its incredibly rich and detailed sculpting. From closer, it was already obvious that the work was not of mortal hands, as there was no trace of sanding, joints, or any tool work. It was, as the witnesses said, heavenly metals poured into a single unseen and perfect mold.
He stepped onto the ramp, and the functionary tried to stop him. The man slowly backpedaled, unwilling to bodily block his Emperor, despite his obvious distress at the risks the Jiaqing was taking.
“What is your name?”
“I’m Zhan Bao working for the Board of Rites, Divine Emperor. And, you shouldn’t risk yourself!”
“Well, Zhan Bao, if the Emperor wills it, it will happen,” Jiaqing said, pushing relentlessly.
“But if the light swallows you? You… you have not designated an heir!” the man tried to object.
“Bah. Mianning, The Prince Zhi of the First Rank is of age now. If I enter the light and am never to be seen again, he can sit on the throne.”
Zhan Bao backpedaled again, as the Emperor climbed slowly but deliberately the ramp leading to the light disc.
From close up, the… vibration… described by the witnesses was visible, the light reaching as if the person touching it should have no options. The Emperor contemplated the place where Zhan Bao had stood a moment ago before he stepped into the light himself.
The rush of guards trying to get there would be comical in many circumstances, notably when they immediately stopped upon seeing their Emperor facing them. He turned toward the light he’d just stepped out, and commented to no one in particular, “Now, that makes just four of them.”
Ji Xiaolan was standing next to the Emperor as the two men contemplated the Great Gate in its courtyard. Most of the commotion had ended, and only a contingent of guards kept watch, half of them facing outward, half facing the Gate itself.
“How many so far?” Jiaqing asked.
“Eight total. The Princess and her maid, four guards, one ministry functionary and the wife of another,” the Minister of Rites answered.
“All in the Forbidden City, save the Consorts, the Imperial Family and those below 15 of age, have now attempted to enter, per your command,” he added. “Even the eunuchs.”
“And you?”
“Being turned away without feeling being turned around is a strange feeling. One day, I will write a proper poem on this. But not today,” Ji confessed.
“Do not wait too long. Your skill of the brush is unmatched, but your years are no shorter. So, age and wisdom do not qualify as a virtue for this Gate, then,” Jiaqing said.
“No, they do not suffice. This is the end of our attempts, though. Unless the Emperor commands that more people be admitted to the Forbidden City to test this Gate, then we have exhausted our prospects.
“Then leave them be. Eight, with one guard for one other, that is both auspicious and balanced. Let us hope that the journey the Heavens have set on them will be as good as they can make it.”
“Then it shall be done,” the Minister answered.
----------------------------------------
2 - Out of the Light
Late Winter, 4th year of Jiaqing (1800)
All heads turned as the Emperor Jiaqing entered the room, and all bowed and kowtowed. He moved toward the empty chair that was reserved for him in most of these rooms, in case he was attending, and gestured to all the present, as he took stock of the people in there.
His daughter he immediately recognized, as well as one of the men. The functionary that had vanished in front of him three weeks ago… one Zhan Bao? It had been reported to him that they had come out of the Gate in relative disarray, clothing and armor scuffed and dirtied. More than three weeks without changing clothes might do it, Yongyan thought.
Now, at least, they were presentable, with plain, but good robes. Well, save for his daughter, who wore an oddly-cut long-sleeved robe of pale brown.
The talking, derailed by his entrance, did not resume.
“You have returned,” he finally commented.
“We did,” Princess Zhuangjing replied immediately.
“And I want to hear this tale,” he said.
“Then I will start again,” she replied.
This intrigued him. He would have expected someone like Zhan Bao to report, not his daughter.
“I was first,” she started her tale.
“I was looking in the right direction when Chang Ru joined me, so I could see the light of the rainbow that heralded her arrival. We were brought to a great circular plaza of the most perfect marble. Flat, without a single join; great columns surrounded it, with a lintel making a wide circle joining them. Despite the opening to the outdoors, there was a great arch, making a ceremonial entrance between two of those columns…”
The Emperor had to admit that her descriptions were well done, to the point. Not quite making him feel as if he was there, but almost so.
One point of her tale made him very curious.
“I had what felt like an examination board. My name, values for my health, mind, and others, and ten scores for ten attributes, as if I had just been through some celestial examination. But rather than being a paper, it was the idea of a paper. As if I was reading it with my mind’s eyes, rather than my body’s.”
“And what were the results of the Celestial examination, daughter?”
“Mostly 15. The only one below that was my Constitution which was only 13, but my Presence was judged to be 16, and my Intellect was scored at 18.”
“Were all of you judged thus?” the Emperor asked.
“We were,” Zhan Bao confirmed, as well as Zhuangjing’s maid and the two other men.
“This, I think, is important. When going to the center of the Plaza, one could visualize in one’s mind a list of ten titles, one for each of those attributes. All those titles required a score of 18 in that attribute.”
“Titles?”
“I was deemed an Arcanist. Chang Ru was designated a Dancer, for having scored 18 in Agility, Zhan Bao was said to be a Defender from 19 in Constitution, guard Deng Feng was named Mender, and…”
“I was made as a Breaker, your Highness,” the last guard added as the Princess hesitated.
“… and Xing Zan had 18 Strength for that one,” she concluded.
“One would expect the Heavens to weigh things differently than mortals,” one of the men gathered for the interrogation helpfully commented.
“But this, I think, is important. I think that this is what happens. All who attempt to enter are subjected to Celestial examination, and only those who have a qualifying score can enter,” Zhan Bao said.
“Spoken like a man from the Board of Rites,” another interrogator noted.
“The workings of the earthly bureaucracy reflect the ways of the Heavens,” Zhan countered.
“What next?” Jiaqing interrupted, unwilling to let the interrogation derail.
His daughter started her narration again.
“This is where I was once you arrived, Father. We stayed for two days. The marble plaza was surrounded by woods and orchards. We could get fruits from those, so we did not lack basic food, as we still suffered from pangs of hunger if we did not eat. This is where we encountered the first test set on our path.”
Seizing upon the pause, Zhan Bao took over the narrative.
“The edge of the orchard was safe, but beyond fifty bu, one found some unnatural giant spiders.”
“Giant… spiders?” one of the interrogators asked, incredulous.
“They looked like normal spiders if a spider was three or four chi in height up to our waist. Hairy, with eight spindly legs and many eyes. And sharp mandibles.”
“They were labeled as challenges,” she added before explaining.
“Just like we all knew of our scorings and placements, so were the beasts' scores shown. They were listed as ‘level 1’ to maybe ‘level 4’. The smaller ones were denoted ‘minions’, while the rest were simply without mention.”
“You fought them?”
“Once any of them noticed us, they attacked and did not retreat back, even if we went back to the Celestial plaza. But most of them were relatively weak despite their fearsome size, and our two guards dispatched them with ease with their weapons. But even then, we were given one way to prevail anyway.”
“Did the Heavens give you weapons?”
“Not immediately, but… Deng? Your knife,” she said.
The guards surrounding the room immediately went to full alarm as the man pulled out a well-worn knife from his side, but they refrained from rushing once he gave it, handle first, to the Princess.
“Cloth,” she asked.
Once a handkerchief was provided, she put it on the ground and raised her arm, letting the robe’s sleeve fall. Then, to everyone’s alarm, she pushed the knife on her arm and sliced, albeit a shallow cut. Blood immediately welled and slowly dripped onto the strategically placed cloth.
“What are you doing?” blurted one of the interrogators.
“Watch and learn,” she replied curtly.
The Emperor bent and watched carefully her cut. A few seconds later, crust started to form, as it would on a normal wound, albeit at an incredible speed. For a few dozens of seconds, the crusty line stayed, then the clotting started to vanish as if the wound was many days old and washed. After a few more seconds, there was only an angry red line, which faded from view almost as quickly.
Less than a minute after the cut, there was no trace of anything remaining. The Princess let her sleeve fall back and handed the knife back to its owner, as everyone remained silent.
“For passing their first examination, the Heavens elevated us. Once mortals, we are now immortal ones.”
“So you left the plaza on the third day,” the third interrogator asked.
“So we did. If the last three came after, that is why they were not with us. They must have arrived after we had left. I have no doubt they will be provided with the tools to survive the orchard. Or maybe they will follow our steps,” Zhuangjing speculated.
“We crossed the woods; they were labeled ‘Flocking woods’ on the Celestial panel tracking our movements. We saw no birds, and there were no bird noises, though. We met small grey wolves instead, equally labeled for their appropriate challenges.”
“And you always scored points for defeating them?”
“All those that participated in the fights did. At first, I did not, but Zhan Bao was the one who figured out how to require our participation formally.”
As she described yet another of the information sheets, the main interrogator pondered the meaning.
“This feels like cheating your way. Sharing your points, even though you stayed safe.”
“That was more for Chang Ru’s benefit. After I found out about my title’s worth, I did help the guards and Zhan to defeat the enemies on our path.”
“What do you mean, helped? Are you Hua Mulan reincarnated, to wield a sword like a man then?” the head interrogator blurted, offended by the concept.
He stopped himself immediately, not daring to look at the Emperor. Jiaqing let the comparison slide, as he was far more interested in what his daughter was referring to as her title’s “worth”.
She looked around, before shaking her head.
“This is not an appropriate place to show you. But if we can step outside…”
The interrogation trio started to make objections, but the Emperor cut their admonitions short and gestured to the Princess.
Outside, they found out quickly what Zhuangjing was talking about, as she gestured toward a small stele next to the pagoda they were in, and a small flame spurted from her fingertips, unerringly flying fast to strike it. The burst of flame was obvious, but almost immediately extinguished.
“Are you a sorceress now???”
“The title seems to say so. I have gained powers of fire and air, at least. Each of us got some special skills recognized as part of our titles. Well, not everyone, my maid and Xing Zan both seem to have lacked the requisite actions to earn those. But both Zhan Bao and Deng Feng did earn some.”
“That is improper. A daughter of the Emperor, a sorceress?”
“Do not worry about me falling afoul of the Prohibitions concerning Sorcerers and Sorceresses. I do not call upon spirits or conduct forbidden ceremonies to the saints. Nor would I claim membership in any of the heretical societies or incite heresies.”
“Still…”
The interrogation wore on, as the inquisition team tried to get as many details they could of the otherworldly adventures of the five “immortals”. Copious notes were taken until at last, the Emperor cut the interrogation short.
“My daughter will need to rest for a while, as will her companions. Leave them be. Prepare a list of questions, and you may submit those to her and the others tomorrow,” Jiaqing ordered.
Facing imperial edict, the interrogators ended their pursuits, hiding their disappointment well.
The Emperor found his third daughter in her reserved quarters, along with her maid. He found that appropriate. Both women had undergone the same trials, it was good that they would stay together after that. The silly interrogators from the Ministry of War might have tried to separate them.
“Honored Father,” she said, bowing deeply.
Chang Ru threw an interrogative glance at her mistress, but the Emperor was quick to show she was to stay.
“So, you are a sorceress.”
“The Heavens have judged it so,” Zhuangjing replied humbly.
He looked upon her, noting she had not changed her robes, while the maid had taken some more formal clothes set.
“Who gave you this plain robe? It does not look fit for a daughter of mine.”
“We… found it in the celestial plane.”
Jiaqing’s surprise must have shown on his face, as she immediately elaborated further.
“Twice, among the many beasts we faced on our way back, instead of having some elements of a meal pre-cut for us, we found crafts. One carried a pair of leather gloves, like some bird trainer gear, and there was this robe, neatly folded under the creature’s corpse as it seeped back into the plane.”
“What is it?”
“It has a sheet describing it, like everything from the Heavens. It says Heavy Mumian Robe. It seems otherwise mundane, but unlike my original robe, this one never got dirty or tore off badly if one of the beasts tried to attack me. My old robe was fraying already by the middle of the trip, but this one… like us, it remains unbroken or becomes pristine again in time.”
“A treasure from the Heavens then?”
“It says it is just of “basic” quality. And one only requires a level 1 to wear it. I presume more await us if we pass with great success the trials of the Heavens. But I shall remove it at once if you say so, father.”
“Even if it is a basic item, a common item of the Heavens is more precious than the best mortal silk crafts. It does not look like a rich robe, but only an unknowing fool will think so,” the Emperor noted.
Second-rank Zhuangjing
Health: 136/136
Mind: 159/159
Endurance: 153/153
Aether: 198/198
Effective level: 3
Level 3 Arcanist
Experience: 511/3000
Strength: 15
Dexterity: 15
Agility: 15
Constitution: 13
Stamina: 15
Wisdom: 15
Focus: 15
Presence: 16
Fortitude: 15
Intelligence: 18
Defense rating: 1
Milestones: None
Skills: Flame Bolt (0), Air Burst (0)
Gear: Heavy Mumian Robe
----------------------------------------
3 - A Hero, by her deeds, is known…
Early Spring, 4th year of Jiaqing (1800)
“They all slipped in at dawn?” Jiaqing asked, feeling slightly aggravated.
“All four of them, yes,” the head guardsman answered.
“The only one who stayed behind was Xing Zan; he is the one who warned me of their scheme, but not in time to stop them. Even the maid bore a sword, which she obtained somehow.”
“And what harebrained scheme has my wayward daughter concocted?”
“Apparently, she wishes to make sure the three they left behind are safe, Honored Emperor. As they appear to be the only ones able to enter, she felt she was responsible for their eventual successes in the trials beyond.”
“That should not be her role. But then… she’s not entirely incorrect. Right now, they are the only ones who can go,” Jiaqing sighed.
“We would do anything to bring her back, Honored Emperor, but as none of us can enter, save Xing Zan, there is little we can do against her foolishness.”
“Then I think I will need to confer with my Minister, and very quickly,” the Emperor concluded.
Rather than a simple meeting, this endeavor had turned into a massive mess very quickly. Without a clear mandate, no less than three Ministers had insisted on being there, and none of them would agree with the others. At this point, the Emperor would not have been surprised if the Board of Finances had found some pretext to implicate itself into the discussion as if the Heavens could be taxed.
“We need to secure this front. By all means.”
“This is the Heavens we are talking about, not some miserable outpost in Tibet.”
“And how are we to weight the proper ranks if our guards become immortal? This is insanity.”
Jiaqing let the men argue among themselves before steering the talk to the proper subject.
“Who manages this affair will be up for debate later. But for now, the Board of Personnel will funnel candidates for elevation. I lift the restrictions of access to the Forbidden City to all such candidates, for the day of their attempt to enter the Great Gate. You will make sure that designated areas are made to funnel those and avoid anyone straying where they do not belong.”
“Who will be those candidates?”
“We will ask all volunteers in Beijing to test themselves. We need more of those men to properly manage the tests of the Heavens and prove ourselves worthy of them.”
Ji Xiaolan, the Minister of Rites, hesitated before asking, “What about women? We have now… three who have passed the entrance.”
“I see no further reason to admit them. Unless their presence becomes absolutely necessary, it would be ill-advised to risk women into this realm. But let it be known that any widow whose husband fails to return from the Heavenly Realm will receive a stipend. The Board of Revenue will determine the proper value, which will not be less than half of a soldier’s customary pay.”
“And how are we to manage those who pass the entrance?”
The Emperor considered the Minister of War’s question. He would like to give at least some bits to all of those Boards if only to prevent further infighting. But there was no clean way to do so, at least not for now.
“We do not know how many, and which kind of men will pass. For the moment, let it be known that all who succeed in gaining Heaven’s favor will be directly under the Emperor’s command.”
“What?”
“That’s preposterous. Never has the Emperor admitted non-bannermen to his bodyguards! Those people in Beijing are not even of Manchu origins.”
More exclamations fused, and the Emperor immediately called for silence.
“They are not Imperial Bodyguards. For now, they are to have a special status of elevated ones that is unique to them.”
“What about the eight that have already crossed the threshold?”
Unstated was the underlying question of the Princess.
“She… will be considered one of those. As will be her maid and the wife of Jiang Shun,” he reluctantly ordered.
As he entered, the Emperor noticed immediately the changes in the four – no, seven now – assembled in the hall. His daughter clutched some kind of gnarled wood staff in her hand, and Zhan Bao had some light chainmail tunic. Chang Ru, the maid, still wore the sword she’d somehow obtained, and Deng Feng held what looked like a worn bound book. And, for some reason, the woman in the middle of the group clutched what looked like a large round shield.
The guards unobtrusively surrounded them, no doubt attempting to prevent some nebulous attempt at escape now that they were safely back in the Middle Kingdom.
“So, the daughter finally returns,” Jiaqing said as he sat down.
“We found the lost ones,” she simply answered.
“Ah. So, you now are a valorous rescuer. Some figure out of xianxia legend, then.”
The Princess judiciously ignored the rebuke.
“They did not follow our steps. They made it to the border, barely, but they found out the next Gate. One of the next Gates, that is.”
This surprised the Emperor very much.
“Next Gate?”
“The Gate where they stayed at was smaller than the one leading back to the Forbidden City, but it was similar in shape. It had other requirements, though, as we were shown we needed to defeat a challenge first – completing a lair of monsters.”
“That is a bit strange.”
“The admission to the Celestial Plane was only the first test; other Planes appear to require more testing.”
“And did you find such a lair?”
“We found an abandoned fortress…”
“Are there men in this Plane?” the Emperor interrupted.
“We found none. The fortress was old and decrepit and had no sign of having been inhabited, at least for centuries. It had small lions inside, much stronger foes than the beasts prowling the outdoors. We did not make it all the way in, but defeated a few of the lesser challenges.”
She raised the gnarly staff in her hand. Now that he was closer, the Emperor could see that, despite the appearance of rusticity and improvisation, it had a much-smoothed area where the Princess could grasp it more easily.
“This is what we found in a treasure chest, guarded by two of the lions. We fought hard, even the three we rescued helped, and together, we defeated them.”
Gnarled Cypress Staff
Two-handed
Common equipment
Requires: Level 1
Provide: INT+1
“I see more exotic-looking gear in here. More treasure then?”
“Yes, there was a reward for each lesser challenge. We completed the four corner towers of the fortress, and got armor for Zhan Bao, a tome of healing for Deng Feng, and even a shield for Liu Yimu, since the woman is titled Shieldbearer. But given the difficulty, we did not attempt the larger lion in the middle courtyard. Instead… we retreated back to the mortal realm.”
“A wise choice. What am I to do with you, then?”
Seeing an overture rather than censure, Zhuangjing immediately started.
“We need to push forward. Our scores have improved, and most of us got higher scores now on our sheets.”
“Higher scores?”
“I described how we got points for defeating lesser enemies, and how those translated into higher values for health and the like. But, at one point, we all got rewarded with eight extra points across our ability scores. I gained myself three in Intellect, two in Wisdom…”
“And it looks like it made a difference if you finally decided to come back. You should have come back immediately when you rescued those.”
“We could have stayed in the Plane for longer, as the beasts provide enough nourishment. But it was… time to come back, yes. Finishing the challenge will be for later.”
“And what makes my daughter think she will do so? We have started testing more people, nine now have entered the Planes, and many reported back already. You and your… band of misfits are not the only ones to pass the entrance now.”
“Have any of your generals or ministers passed the entrance, father?” she simply asked.
The Emperor’s silence offered the Princess the opening she sought.
“The Heavens have not let you in, but has any of the heirs passed through? Has Prince Zhi gotten his elevation? Who will lead those blessed by the Heavens in the course they’ve set for us?”
“I will decide that in good time. For now, you will be confined, since obviously the rest of your band is of bad counsel. All of you as well. You will have a new maid for now on, irresolute daughter.”
He cut off short what looked like an outburst coming out, and rose, formally ending the audience.
Second-rank Zhuangjing
Health: 162/162
Mind: 208/208
Endurance: 166/166
Aether: 316/316
Effective level: 16
Level 16 Arcanist
Experience: 9929/16000
Strength: 16
Dexterity: 16
Agility: 15
Constitution: 13
Stamina: 15
Wisdom: 17
Focus: 15
Presence: 16
Fortitude: 16
Intelligence: 22 (21)
Defense rating: 1
5% elemental damage
Milestones: Arcanist I
Skills: Flame Bolt (1), Air Burst (0), Ice Dart (0), Forked Lightning (0)
Gear: Heavy Mumian Robe, Gnarled Cypress Staff
----------------------------------------
4 - Jilted fiance
Fall, 4th year of Jiaqing (1800)
“I have seen the works halted on my wife’s palace. And now, I hear rumors that she’s been declared a sorceress. What is going on?” Prince Sodnamdorji of the Borjigit almost yelled.
Then, he mollified his stance, remembering who he was talking to. But the Emperor could tell the Mongol was very angry, and angry Mongol Princelings were prone to forget themselves and their station. Still, the enduring alliance of the Chinese Dynasty and the clans warranted a measured response.
“Your betrothed has undergone… a situation change,” he said.
The man came close to overt insult in response.
“Has the Heavenly Throne decided to reneged on its word?”
“It is only that she might no longer be a suitable bride for a Prince like yourself.”
“Has she been defiled then? I hear she was consorting with guards and minor functionaries. Does the Emperor condone such behavior of his own children now, I wonder?”
Sodnamdorji was very upset, Yongyan decided. Few would dare address the Emperor thus. The old alliance with the northern tribes had always been very important for the Qing dynasty, even more now in the troubled times where major rebellions rose with sickening regularity.
Still, he was the Emperor. Even if the prince had a genuine grievance.
“We should adjourn to the courtyards. I will show you why things have changed.”
Sodnamdorji snorted but made no further comment.
The Emperor would show him the Great Gate, and maybe a demonstration or two of what the Celestial Planes brought to the Middle Kingdom.
Or, Yongyan thought as the entourage stepped out of the hall, maybe just one demonstration.
Prince Sodnamdorji had not seen his future wife yet, or maybe once a long time ago. So, he did not pay much attention to the figure that was waiting out in the courtyard in front of the Palace of Heavenly Purity, clad in odd and slightly mismatched clothes and holding a rough long staff. But the Emperor had insisted his daughter wore appropriate clothing when she was out of the Planes, and he recognized those. In that case, she meant “appropriate” for fighting, not the reception of a valued ally.
“Ah, Father. I was just heading to the court for some training,” she said.
And you happened to be there just at this moment, Yongyan thought, despite the fact that the path between your quarters and the Celestial’s Court does not pass here. Rumors travel faster across the Forbidden City than a Mongol courier across the great steppe.
“Princess? What are you doing… like that?” the prince blurted. “How dare the wife of mine dress like a peasant?”
“Those clothes may not look much, but they are prizes from the Heavens themselves,” she replied.
She proceeded to remove her leather gloves deftly, before handing them to the Prince.
“See for yourself. Try them.”
The Prince turned to gloves, noticing their solid craftsmanship despite their plain aspect.
“Just try. You will see what I mean.”
He slipped one hand in the first, then immediately stopped. Sodnamdorji tried to flex his hand and move the fingers, but his discomfort was plain for the Emperor to see. Not that Yongyan was surprised – he knew what to expect from the objects coming out of the Great Gate.
“See, a mortal cannot wear those. Only the ones deemed worthy by the Heavens,” she said as she simply put the gloves back on without the slightest hesitation.
“Now, on to the field. My team awaits. You should see this, Prince.”
The Prince looked at the Emperor in confusion, but Jiaqing did not elaborate. His daughter would succeed or fail in her scheme, let her deal with it.
The already-geared and waiting three on the corner of the courtyard were sufficient to prove to the Emperor the ruse was well prepared. Zhuangjing did not stop and moved to take place next to the leather-clad woman. Sodnamdorji frowned when he realized what was being set up.
“What is this farce? Two women against two men?”
The Emperor kept his silence, looking at the courtyard as Zhan Bao pulled out the large flat two-handed sword from the scabbard at his side, and brought it up in salute, as his companion crossed his arms, a leather-bound tome and a dagger in hand. The Princess and her former maid raised their weapons in response, staff held high and short swords crossed.
Then the four exploded in action at the same time.
The man in brown robes, Deng Feng, retreated behind his teammate, as Zhan Bao rushed in front of the swordswoman. Chang Ru tried to bypass him, but he moved his larger sword to the side, and slashed, as she twisted, deflecting the interception.
Meanwhile, the Princess started throwing a steady set of compact balls of red fire toward the hiding healer, who was already moving his hand in sympathetic reflexes as he was using his own skills, alternating.
Chang Ru kept moving, trying to slide through, and the move proved successful as suddenly, the Princess switched from her burning projectile to a sudden burst of blaze surrounding briefly the three people. Deng jumped immediately out, putting back some distance between him and the clashing melee combatants.
From his position, the Emperor took time to appreciate the hidden strategy. Of course, from the perspective of an onlooker, it made barely any sense, but that wasn’t the first time he’d seen that team try out things, and his daughter had explained afterward how she’d worked out that. Next to him, Sodnamdorji’s mouth hung open in disbelief at the sorcery on display and the dance of swords.
Chang Ru kept slashing as she tried to move through the barrier made by the now regularly adept Zhan Bao, but she switched to the full offensive on her opponent as Deng Feng suddenly bent on a knee, dropping both dagger and book on the ground.
She did not fight for long, as mere instants later, she stepped back, dropped her swords, and took a knee herself. Zhan Bao turned to the Princess and rushed, covering the extent of the improvised arena in a second, much faster than any man should. Brief spikes of rock jutted under his feet, causing him to falter slightly, but by then, he had reached his opponent, slashing his sword across her.
“Is that a blunt sword or what?” the Borjigit Prince asked.
“No. You can see the cuts on her wrist and arm. If he struck you or me that way, we’d bled badly, assuming we’d escape the full strike,” the Emperor responded.
The two exchanged flames and sword cuts until suddenly the Princess dropped her staff and bent the knee in defeat. Zhan immediately stopped his last strike and briefly raised the sword in salute. All three rose to their feet, then picked their weapons.
“You are still too slow to whittle down Deng. By the time he’s overwhelmed, I have not suffered enough damage that you can finish me where Chang did not,” Zhan offered.
“It’s still barely a few strikes from your own defeat. Maybe a slightly better execution of the original attack…”
“At one point, you need a surer method. This strategy is not working.”
“Better than when I am paired with Deng against you and Chang,” she commented as the combatants neared the spectators.
Jiaqing clapped his hands slowly and deliberately.
“Your attempt remains admirable, daughter. But you should listen to the voice of reason. If it fails, it is not the right way.”
She acknowledged the mild rebuke with a slight head movement before addressing the prince at the Emperor’s side.
“Did you enjoy the fight, Lord Sodnamdorji? I suffer slightly from a lack of sufficient treasure compared to the rest of those three, but I trust I do hold my weight.”
“That looked ridiculous. Such a staged fight is no substitute for the real…”
“Would one of your bannermen care to fight me instead?” she provoked.
“I will not allow this foolishness, daughter,” the Emperor immediately interrupted.
And before the Mongols could put in a remark about protecting his daughter from real harm, he added “Unlike you, if the heat of the fight goes a bit higher and one of the Prince’s men fall before he surrenders, he cannot be brought back to life.”
The Mongol entourage exchanged looks of incomprehension, as Zhuangjing bowed to acknowledge the imperial prohibition.
“Now go back to your quarters, and prepare yourself. There will be a small dinner with the Prince this evening, and you will, of course, attend. Dressed appropriately for the moment,” he added.
“I did not believe the rumors that she was proven a sorceress. A daughter of the Emperor, such a one?” Sondnamdorji said as he looked at the departing four.
“She’s been named such by the Heavens. Come with me, and I will show you the source of these events,” Jiaqing replied.
The Emperor contemplated the courtyard in the fading sunlight, as the two eunuchs behind him waited until permission to start clothing him for the dinner.
Yongyan did not know what to feel at the fact that Sodnamdorji had immediately tried to pass through the Great Gate and failed to qualify. Relief, for sure. Relieved that one of the great Prince of the Mongols was not anointed by the Heavens, relieved that none of his retinue had caused offense by crossing where their Lord had failed… and maybe relieved that the man was not placed on equal footing with his daughter and finding cause to insist on the promised marriage.
And, of course, slightly annoyed that he would have to find a suitable compensation for the lord of the steppes. He could hardly replace her with her namesake Princess of the First Rank who was already promised to the Tumed clan. And all of his other daughters had died young, unfortunately.
That problem would not go away quietly. And the Empire had already too many other problems.
Second-rank Zhuangjing
Health: 272/272 (255)
Mind: 373/373
Endurance: 218/218
Aether: 614/614 (584)
Effective level: 57
Level 11 Aetherist
Level 46 Arcanist
Experience: 17835/22000
Strength: 18
Dexterity: 18
Agility: 15
Constitution: 13
Stamina: 15
Wisdom: 21
Focus: 15
Presence: 16
Fortitude: 18
Intelligence: 31 (27)
Defense rating: 8
15% elemental damage
3% fire damage
Milestones: Arcanist III
Skills: Flame Bolt (1), Forked Lightning (1), Earth Grasp (1), Air Burst (0), Ice Dart (0), Firefall (0)
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Gear: Coif of the Tomb, Heavy Mumian Robe, Lionhide Gloves, Scorched Belt, Heavy Mumian Legwraps, Blue Ankle Sandals, Gnarled Cypress Staff
----------------------------------------
5 - Money Talks
Late Fall-Early Winter, 5th year of Jiaqing (1801)
Those times were when Yongyan thought he still had kept the wrong Ministers around. Their role was to find the solutions to the problems that plagued the Empire. But when they faced uncertainty, they would still turn to their Emperor and saddle him with questions and ask for the decisions they failed to make.
After all, the Jiaqing was the one with the Mandate of Heaven. He insisted that the Great Gate in his city was the additional proof of that – even if he could not cross it. Which meant he had to take the burden of that Mandate at times, even if he disliked it.
“I thought we had gotten enough to restore our finances when Heshen was finally allowed to suicide himself? Are you telling me that one billion silver taels have vanished in less than two years?”
“No, Emperor. But the tax revenue is still down, and our expenses still high with the White Lotus rebellion that still rages in Sichuan and Hubei. The Green Army has still been unable to quell the rebels, and the entire area is still unruly. Those taels will soon be gone and not replaced.”
“And what are your proposals to remedy this missed revenue?”
“We may need to raise taxes…”
“And risk getting more unrest in other parts,” the Emperor noted.
“Can’t we gain more money from our exports? The Dutch and the British are always eager for more of our goods,” he asked.
“It is steady, but we are also starting to lose money from other sources. Opium smuggling is still on the uptick, and that also drains the coffers of the Empire as silver flows outward.”
“That substance is becoming a major nuisance. It not only saps our vital forces but it also saps our economy…”
The discussion drifted, as the Minister admitted further he could see no way to easily gain more for the Empire’s coffers. Another of his worries was the rise of more and more corrupted officials, like the commanders who would pocket the pay of dismissed soldiers, inflating the costs of the army. But the Emperor was unable to make any suggestion on how to tackle that particular problem, and the meeting adjourned without any progress made on solving the Empire’s financial woes, leaving Yongyan deeply dissatisfied.
The evening was a good time to walk to the only gardens of the Forbidden City. And, as usual when she was out of the Celestial Planes and back on Earth, that meant bringing the Princess Zhuangjing – or the Solid Aethershaper Zhuangjing, as she said should be the proper title for one walking the outer planes like herself – along.
In proper attire for a Princess, not a sorceress.
“My august father seems preoccupied today,” she noted as they made their way along the alleys.
“Sometimes, the Ministers seem to think I should have all the answers as if I had the Heavens whispering at my ear. Like, finding money for our government.”
“I am afraid I cannot help on that. The Heavens give me challenges, but no answers,” she replied.
“The highest Intellect in all of Earth cannot think of answers? My august daughter is stymied?”
“The high scores I now have give me unmatched memory and quick wit, but they do not make me an expert in revenue,” she admitted.
“Then you will focus on the answers you get, and not those we want,” Jiaqing said.
“Speaking of which, we unlocked a new tier-four Plane, and the next team is close to being able to tackle its own final challenge. But it seems to be like the first Plane we opened.”
“A different challenge.”
“None of the seven offered Titles can be gotten easily. To reach the tier four, it seems increasingly like you have to take a different, maybe even lesser title from tier two to raise your other scores.”
“In other words, the tier-four teaches humility.”
“That… is a way of thinking about it,” she said.
“I could get the Constitution required for the new title we found from my current path. But I would still need more than twice as many Milestones I have, and that would take a very long time,” she mused.
“So, stubbornness against humility,” Jiaqing said.
“Or maybe endurance against easy fix,” she pondered.
“No,” she decided, “it would give me eleven points, and I have only nine skills to raise. It would be a waste.”
“It is good that your decisions are much more obvious than mine.”
“The Heavens have different preoccupations than the mortals.”
“And you are no longer a mortal,” he said.
“I have not been a mortal for a year and a half now, father.”
He almost asked if she sometimes regretted it. But Yongyan knew that was a stupid question.
The first frost had dropped early on the garden, but that would not stop the Emperor from enjoying the evening in his gardens.
“There is one thing I need to understand, father,” the Prince of the First Rank Zhi asked the Emperor.
“And that is?”
“You have promoted Niohuru to Empress instead of Xian Guifei. So I have wondered why you promoted her rather than…”
“Than Zhuangjing’s mother? Are you worried about your brother Miankai then?”
“Oh, no. I know you haven’t decided on an heir yet.”
“Actually, I have. Like my father before, I wrote a name and placed it in the appropriate box on the day I became Emperor in full, and not in name.”
The Prince stayed silent, meditating on the news.
“But that is in part why I promoted the clan of the Niohuru. I do not think your sister will be a Wu Zetian, but should I die early, I trust your brother’s mother more to do the right thing than Lady of the Liugiya.”
“Surely you do not think she would claim the throne for her daughter? She’s a…”
“A woman? Maybe, but she is also a tier-three Hero of the Celestial Planes. An assassin could strike me down. Or you. But her? You need dozens of assassins, and most would die before they could fell her. Such things could happen, but not easily.”
He contemplated the peaceful gardens, still carefully maintained despite the low temperature.
“I do not think she will seek the throne. Even if she is an Imperial daughter, such a claim would be backed only by force, not custom. She might be powerful, but she only trusts those three. This is not enough to usurp the Mandate of Heaven, even if you are judged worthy of walking the outer Planes.”
“Aren’t you worried some of the Eight Banners will do so instead? The bannermen that are being tested every few months can grow powerful as well. Two dozen of them have entered the Planes this year. They would gain power. And they are men, sometimes with a distant blood relation to ours.”
The Emperor looked at his son with a smile.
“Ah. Should any try his hand at the throne in such a way…” the Prince realized.
“He would have to face an irate daughter calling down rains of fire and storms of ice upon his head. As always, it would depend on what the northern clans decide, not what some hothead wants. And the stronger she becomes, the harder it will be for a usurper to bring our dynasty down. In a duel between Celestial Heroes, the level is nearly everything, or so she maintains.”
“Then the throne remains secure.”
The Emperor sighed, prompting his son to look at him in worry.
“The throne maybe, but the Middle Kingdom is not in a good shape, according to my Ministers.”
“What trouble plague us? The Empire is strong, father.”
“Those heretical Buddhists of the White Lotus still plague the borders. And our finances are being bled. The wily British have found ways to get back the silver they give us for our porcelains, silk, and tea, and there is little we can do against that.”
“What can they sell to us that we don’t provide? Our Kingdom is rich and has everything we need.”
“Opium,” the Emperor said bluntly.
“Ah.”
“Their embassy denies it, of course, but that East India Company of theirs is full of merchants, and they will lie their way to profit. They deny it, relying on smugglers and pirates, but the silver ends back in their hands.”
“That’s… despicable,” the Prince acknowledged.
“Yes. And the worst thing is, even if we threw out the British, they would still smuggle the vile substance from their Indian possessions. We just would no longer sell them our goods, and end up poorer.”
The two men reached the end of the garden, and turned around, followed by the guards.
Finally, Mianning asked the simple question that plagued him.
“Why don’t we simply erase those opium farmers where they are? Are our armies so weak we can’t do that?”
“We would have to wage war against the British to do that since that is done in their possessions in the land of the Mughals. And yes, our armies are insufficient. The Eight Banners can be counted upon to defend us, but waging a campaign across the western borders would be hard, if not impossible. The Minister of War is competent, but even the best generals can’t do miracles without troops and weapons,” the Emperor said with a wince.
“Miracles are the province of my sister,” the Prince noted.
The Emperor startled.
“Maybe I should ask her counsel on this once she returns from her foray in the Planes. Whenever that is,” he finally said.
Second-rank Zhuangjing
Health: 1146/1146 (993)
Mind: 1013/1013
Endurance: 525/525
Aether: 2412/2412
Effective level: 175
Level 71 Solid Aethershaper
Level 58 Aetherist
Level 46 Arcanist
Experience: 51,113/213,000
Strength: 22
Dexterity: 35
Agility: 26
Constitution: 23
Stamina: 15
Wisdom: 36
Focus: 19
Presence: 24
Fortitude: 23
Intelligence: 94 (82)
Defense rating: 12
1% Regeneration
25% elemental damage
Milestones: Arcanist III, Aetherist IV, Solid Aethershaper V
Skills: Flame Bolt (3), Forked Lightning (3), Ice Dart (2), Firefall (2), Earth Grasp (1), Ice Storm (1), Air Burst (0), Everburn (0), Light Blast (0)
Gear: Soft Padded Footwraps
----------------------------------------
6 - Peacemaker
Summer, 7th year of Jiaqing (1803)
The four military commanders had been summoned by the Emperor. Jiaqing wanted to hear the results directly from them, unfiltered by his War Minister. And now, they were there sitting there, having finished kowtowing after being admitted to the Emperor’s audience.
“The last rebels have indeed surrendered,” Xuan Xun said.
The highest-ranked of the four was almost smiling as he said that piece of news.
“They have tried their ambushes strategies, but most of the time, they lost. But the real clincher is that the morale they lost when they faced Light Commander Luo Yuhan directly,” he added.
Jiaqing looked at the named Hero. Even if he was in mundane military clothing, it was not hard to find the one that was not a real military commander. Or maybe the one who was the only real commander. When you looked at them, there was one who stood out, as if the world recognized his immortal status. As if the others were simply mannequins wearing the clothes of a man.
“The rebels are not true soldiers. Their heretical beliefs about the coming of the Maitreya Buddha and the unification of all under the auspice of the Unborn Mother melted away when they faced those who have truly walked the Celestial Planes,” one of the other commanders said.
It was probably a bit more complicated than that, given that they had needed nearly a year after Zhuangjing had suggested deploying a complete team of Heroes to the provinces to help in the pacification. Still, that was a success greater than anything the Green Army had managed before, and Yongyan was eager to find out how such a thing had been achieved.
“It was not that often. Even with the high score I have in my Presence, many of the rebel’s supporters do not care about the Heavens, only about their taxes,” the Hero humbly elaborated.
“Even if they did not lay down their arms, most of the time they underestimated our forces. They would think our patrol understrength, only to be devastated when the Light Commander and his team unleashed their fighting abilities, and they found themselves powerless to defeat them.”
“We lucked out that they do not have western weapons. Although even with those, they would need quite a lot to down me or my Resilient Shieldwielder. One had a ‘musket’ but he could barely shoot a second time before we struck him down. I think Du Yong gets more damage by a claw strike from one of the challenges in the upper first tier of Planes,” Luo Yuhan noted.
“So, entire success,” the Emperor noted.
“There will be some pacification remaining to be done. Some villages may yet harbor some small dissident elements. But overall, the area is returning to normalcy.”
The four commanders bowed again, walking backward before they left the Emperor to savor the returned peace.
Yongyan knew this would probably not last. The Empire suffered a surfeit of calamities and dissent. Maybe the White Lotus would remain down, but they had created many small sects over the centuries all over the country. One was bound to rise again if only to vex him.
The alleys of the Forbidden City were quiet in the warming spring, which made it easier for the Emperor to notice a familiar voice from nearby. He paused before turning the corner, raising his hand to stop the guards from advancing.
“You would do well. And advance faster,” Zhuangjing said.
“I am still of the third tier, unlike your entire team, honored Massive Spellwrangler,” the voice of Luo Yuhan replied.
“Nonetheless, you have distinguished yourself, and your initial scores have allowed you a differing path from most. You have enough Milestones in Tutor and once you take just one more Milestone in Light Commander, then you’ll be able to jump directly to tier four, unlike many. That is the good that your initial scores entitle you. And my team – your team – will have no problem helping you through the required lairs for that.”
“I… will consider this proposition, honored Great Hero. I will lose many skills.”
“So did I. Skills you lose are skills you never truly used.”
The Emperor's ear measured footsteps, then the man stopped before reaching the edge and said a final parting word, “I will think deeply and you will have my answer tomorrow.”
The Emperor walked to the corner, only to find the man already bowing in his direction. One of those blessed with enhanced Focus, probably, more keenly aware of details around him than mortals. He had to admit he knew little of what all those titles entailed. There were already far too many to keep track of unless you were deeply vested in those.
He watched the Light Commander depart before asking, “Poaching him as soon as he comes back covered in glory, daughter?”
“You heard my proposition.”
“Only the latter parts, I admit.”
“The man had enough scores upon entry to qualify for two titles. It is probably only simple chance that gave him the Pilot one. He has shot in the tiers far easier than others, even if he pays with losing a lot of skills every tier.”
“There is always a price to advance,” Jiaqing commented.
“There is. But all of us deal with it. As we should,” she replied.
“I am surprised you are looking to expand your team, however. I would have thought you’d be happy to remain with your three companions forever.”
She would not say it outright, he knew, but she still considered treason when the Smasher Xing Zan had refused to follow her and reported on her run into the Celestial Planes. She had not afforded her trust to any but those loyal to her at the time.
“We can deal with the lairs at our own rhythm, but the newer Ancient guardians are something else. We did it with two teams, but half of us did not get acknowledged as having completed the lair. Any time you get more than six Heroes involved, your success is lessened.”
“And thus, you look to get two more.”
“And thus, I need two more. Stubbornness is not a virtue that gets rewarded.”
The Emperor laughed.
“Learning the proper virtues is part of the Celestial trials, it seems. That is good. So… will you get him?”
“You could order him, father. After all, as you decreed, all Heroes fall under your direct authority.”
“And don’t my Ministers complain about it all the time.”
The two remained silent until she said.
“You haven’t answered my question.”
“I wasn’t aware you had asked one, daughter.”
Jiaqing raised his hand to forestall Zhuangjing’s reply.
“I will not order him. If you can convince him to join your team, that is on you, not me. I have found that the best orders an Emperor can give are those people were already willing to follow on their own. I may have the authority, but only you can have his trust. And that is what is needed for those trials.”
As she departed, he finally thought to ask, “How does this tier-four you’re trying to entice him with working out anyway, daughter?”
“One of the new Planes was stranger than most. It had two suns, a yellow one and a much redder one. Makes it a bit harder to sleep, as you do not get much nighttime.”
“Wait, two suns?”
He hurried after her, as she did not stop to explain further.
Second-rank Zhuangjing
Health: 1873/1873
Mind: 1628/1628
Endurance: 902/902
Aether: 3364/3364
Effective level: 252
Level 28 Massive Spellwrangler
Level 42 Protector
Level 78 Solid Aethershaper
Level 58 Aetherist
Level 46 Arcanist
Experience: 7,431/140,000
Strength: 22
Dexterity: 44
Agility: 26
Constitution: 46
Stamina: 24
Wisdom: 53
Focus: 19
Presence: 24
Fortitude: 32
Intelligence: 110
Defense rating: 0
30% elemental damage
15% health per CON
6% ice damage
4% lightning damage
Milestones: Arcanist III, Aetherist IV, Solid Aethershaper VI, Protector III, Massive Spellwrangler II
Skills: Flame Bolt (3), Forked Lightning (3), Ice Dart (3), Firefall (2), Earth Grasp (1), Ice Storm (1), Everburn (1), Dodge (1), Repel (1), Anticipate (1), Aether Window (1), Aetheric Armor (0), Infuse Armor (0), Draw Defense (0)
Gear: none
----------------------------------------
7 - Hidden Threats
Late Winter, 9th year of Jiaqing (1805)
“We do not receive embassies in the Forbidden City or even Beijing anymore,” Emperor Jiaqing said to his Minister.
Although why this would be a question coming from his Minister of Revenue rather than the more traditional Board of Rites was an interesting conundrum.
“The Macartney Mission was vexing enough, and my father was far too conciliating with them. Maybe not all barbarians from the west are so uncouth, but I do not see why we should admit them in our presence again. Did not they get all the factors they needed in Guangzhou? What more do they want?” he added.
The Minister made a slight wince.
“The representatives of the British want to petition you directly rather than the Hoppo in Canton. They want to open up more trade, and notably allow them to sell more items to us, which only your authority can do.”
“Do they?”
“A war has heated up in the west, and they are pressed for money. They just lost a major war in the Americas, and they are again in conflict with the French. They seek to ‘balance’ their trade, instead of sending their silver.”
“And why should we be concerned with wars among the barbarians in distant lands? We are still trying to restore our own finances, we are not about to throw away money for their problems, even more since they’re not ours.”
The Minister winced.
“They have difficulties against the French because the latter have a Great Gate.”
The silence that weighted over the audience room at that announcement could not be heavier, until the Emperor finally asked, “They do?”
“Yes. Both the British and the…”
The Minister’s voice trailed as he noticed the unhappy face of his Emperor.
“The British and the French have Great Gates to the Heavens, do they? And no one said anything to me?”
Jiaqing cut the attempt to answer by the luckless high functionary.
“I will speak with my Ministers. All of them. And right now. Stay here, while the rest of the six are brought in.”
By the time the Minister of Punishments, who was wondering why he was summoned thus, came in, the Emperor had worked himself to small fury. He was not surprised when his daughter appeared – words traveled fast within the Forbidden City, and news of the Emperor’s displeasure even faster.
He almost made to bar her from entering, as she wore not the customary gear for a daughter of the Emperor, but what looked like her combat regalia instead. But besides the fact that none of the mortal guards were equal to a Hero of the Celestial Planes, the symbolism of a Great Hero in full regalia could add weight to this inquisition.
“It has been brought to my attention that barbarians appear to have Gates to the Heavens,” Jiaqing said drily.
“Had anyone noticed this small… detail?”
Finally, the Finance Minister dared to raise his voice again.
“It is recent news, your Highness. No one knew for many years.”
The Emperor stayed silent, his stare simply boring on the functionaries prostrated in front of him.
“One man in Canton noticed… a strange foreigner, who had the feeling of being more than a simple mortal. He’d seen Heroes before, so he thought this felt like the same. His British masters acknowledged that he was such, and that was confirmed.”
“Confirmed how?” Jiaqing asked.
“There was a younger Hero nearby, accompanying his uncle on a trip. A… Piercer, I think? The Hero was brought in to the delegation and the Englishman provided his titles, which the Piercer could check just like any other Hero status. He said the man’s highest title was Careful Commander, which accounts for why his Presence was most perceptible by mortals. Apparently, the reason for the foreign Hero being there was pretty much the same as the Piercer's – he was accompanying a relative on a long trade mission.”
“So, the British have Heroes, like us,” Jiaqing said.
He could tell his daughter had burning questions, and he gestured to allow her to speak and further grill his Ministers.
“Are those Heroes the same as ours? Are their Great Gate the same? How can barbarians without the Mandate of Heaven have such privileges?”
The only one who dared reply after a pause was the new Minister of Rites who had replaced the deceased Ji Xiaolan – whose poem on the Celestial Examinations remained unwritten, much to the Emperor’s regret – finally answered, proving he also had knowledge of the foreign state of affairs.
“The one they describe appears to be quite similar. The circle, the inner cold light, the ornaments on the structure. Even the ramp to allow access seems to be identical. Just like us, the man said only the worthy are admitted beyond. And the Gate is near what was the Residence of their Queen.”
“And the French?”
“The merchants admitted little knowledge of the French's situation, save that their Gate was in the old Palace of their King before they overthrew him…”
“A rebuke of the Heavens from such an act,” the Emperor commented off-handedly, before gesturing to the Minister to continue.
“It is the extent of my knowledge of those Celestial Gates, Emperor. The British seem to have pretty much the same Heroes as we do.”
“Does the Piercer has gotten any information from his… encounter?”
“I do not know, Emperor…”
“If the Piercer is back in Beijing, then he could tell you,” the Minister of Works suddenly said.
Jiaqing startled, wondering why that particular Minister would have such knowledge. He immediately followed up on the suggestion.
“Then let us fetch the Hero. While we wait,” he added pointedly, watching the six Ministers still sprawled on the floor.
“The foreign Hero appeared pretty normal to me,” Du Xieren said.
“He was of tier three as any other?” Zhuangjing asked.
“A normal set of titles. I’ve seen pretty much the same progression before,” he confirmed.
“But how do foreigners get into the examinations of the Heavens?” the Emperor asked.
“Neither of us spoke the other’s tongue. We did use a translator – the barbarian was as intrigued by me as I was by him. He confirmed the rule of 18, the Milestones, the skills, the immortal status, and all that would be expected of a Hero. He’d been one for almost three years, having managed to cross the Gate’s threshold.”
The Piercer stopped for a few moments to gather his wits, before continuing.
“One of the things we both noticed is that our own view of the Celestial tallies was appropriate for us. I mean, when grasping his wrist, I could see his titles and progress in proper ideograms, but he said he was seeing mine in his own English instead.”
“He could see the results of the Heavens’ tests in his own barbarian tongue?” Zhuangjing blurted in astonishment.
“Like I did for his own. The Heavens provided us with each other’s achievements in proper form, no matter who we were.”
“And the French also have access to their own tests,” Jiaqing interrupted.
“The foreigner had little information about them. Save that they had their own Heroes,” he admitted.
“The French have always been polite and not as pushy as the British. But that is still a strange thing for so many to be acknowledged by the Heavens.”
“The foreigner says that they are waging war on all of their neighbors. And many nobles houses of the… Europe?… have fallen already to their Tyrant.”
Jiaqing could tell many of his Ministers were throwing looks at the young Piercer. Apparently, at least some of that news was new to them as well, not just him.
“Have the British overreached?”
“They say the French are greedy and respect little…”
“But they are besmirching their enemies, of course,” the Minister of War finally injected.
The Emperor’s cold look silenced the man, and the Piercer, fearful, added, “He said they were looking at ways to improve their navies and secure their maritime roads. And cut the French, of course. They use the materials from the… Labyrinth, as they call it, to try to improve their…”
“THEY WHAT?” Zhuangjing nearly screamed, unleashed Presence roiling out almost physically.
The Ministers were gone, the witnesses dismissed, and only the Emperor and his daughter remained.
“That is sacrilege. They rend the treasures of the Heavens to make better mundane weapons? They pillage the testing lairs wantonly to get mere lights for their homes?”
“The Treasure Halls are slowly filling, daughter. They are barbarians. Of course, they would be tempted to turn Celestial gifts into profit. You cannot expect barbarians to have proper values.”
“But… well, of course, the Halls are slowly filling. And that is to the benefit of the newer Heroes, who get better equipment for their trials every seven levels, as is proper. But rending those into base materials, as if the cloth was mere silk or the armor iron mined from the hills…”
“To be honest, I was surprised they did not outright offer to purchase ours,” the Emperor admitted.
Zhuangjing scoffed.
“Probably because they did not know we had begun testing ourselves in the Heavens,” she said.
“That might be the case. And their former colonies are, as well. Now, the four corners of the Earth are open to the testing of the worthy.”
“I shall endeavor to be the highest, father. No barbarian is going to overpass the proper… children of the Heavens.”
Second-rank Zhuangjing
Health: 3458/3458 (2754)
Mind: 3434/3434 (2758)
Endurance: 1427/1427
Aether: 8288/8288 (6944)
Effective level: 317
Level 31 Resilient Spellwrangler
Level 62 Massive Spellwrangler
Level 42 Protector
Level 78 Solid Aethershaper
Level 58 Aetherist
Level 46 Arcanist
Experience: 88,116/168,000
Strength: 54 (28)
Dexterity: 49
Agility: 53 (26)
Constitution: 83 (55)
Stamina: 44 (24)
Wisdom: 103 (65)
Focus: 115 (29)
Presence: 79 (24)
Fortitude: 80 (52)
Intelligence: 351 (155)
Defense rating: 138
2% regeneration
30% elemental damage
15% health per CON
19% ice damage
10% lightning damage
6% earth damage
Milestones: Arcanist III, Aetherist IV, Solid Aethershaper VI, Protector III, Massive Spellwrangler V, Resilient Spellwrangler II
Skills: Ice Dart (5), Flame Bolt (4), Forked Lightning (3+1), Firefall (2), Ice Storm (2), Earth Grasp (1), Everburn (1), Dodge (1), Repel (1), Anticipate (1), Aether Window (1), Asphyxiate (1), Aetheric Armor (0), Infuse Armor (0), Draw Defense (0), Burning Aura (0), Shock Touch (0), Cone of Frost (0), Lightning Grasp (0)
Gear: Light Emerald Diadem, Robe of the Winter Path, Full Silk Handgrips, Heavy Silk Braided Belt, Mumian Split Leggings, Ankle-Length Mountain Boots, Spring-Melt Braided Branch
----------------------------------------
8 - Filial Advice
Early-Mid Spring, 10th year of Jiaqing (1806)
“This is the fourth time this year massive bales of opium have been seized in Canton,” the Minister of Finances said to the Emperor.
Both he and the Minister of Justice had come to him in despair, it seemed.
“And there is no doubt it came through on the factories of the British?”
“They are pretty much the only ones who commerce in Canton anymore. The Dutch are now operating under the French’s flag, and they avoid the commercial routes of the British, now preferring to deal with the Southern Kingdoms like the French usually do.”
In any other time, the Emperor would have handwaved away the distinctions between one barbarian or another. But the presence of the Great Gates among those warranted his attention. Which meant the Ministers used this to get him to take decisions rather than do their jobs.
“And thus, they give us their silver for the silk and porcelain they so much crave, and hidden, they get it back selling the vile substance,” the Finance Minister confirmed.
“How… bad is this?”
“They have intensified their efforts so much already, if this is allowed to continue unfettered, they may get more silver than they spend by the end of the year. Unless we are allowed to punish them for this, they will remain emboldened and keep doing it.”
“Then we will close their factories, and throw them out of Canton before that happens. Better to lose their money, than endure the plague of opium among our subjects.”
“That… might not even work, Emperor,” the Finance Minister said with deep concern in his voice.
“How so?”
“They have many contacts among our merchants now. They might still smuggle many a box of opium despite not being allowed to access Canton, using corrupt merchants.”
“Then what?”
“We hope for the Emperor’s wisdom. This is not a path we can divine ourselves, and thus, we ask for your guidance.”
Yongyan was starting to feel a headache already, as he cut the audience short.
“If the barbarians defy us, they have to go,” the Prince of the First Rank said as he rode beside his father’s own horse.
These days, the Emperor would use a horse rather than a ceremonial palanquin. Even if the uprising were quelled, many still disputed the Mandate of the Heaven, saying that the misfortunes plaguing the Middle Kingdom stemmed from his lack of virtue.
Even though he was still middle-aged, the Emperor could feel each muscle of his steed working on his imperial posterior. But the representatives of the Eight Banners would still think better of him for being a proper horseman, even if he was just riding to visit the Western Tombs, to pay respectful homage to the ancestors.
“Mianning, this is more complicated than it appears. As my Minister says, merely banishing them will not make them stop. Just… drive the smugglers deeper into the shadows, and inconvenience them. And we would still lose their commerce.”
“Bah. Are we to have the Minister of money dictate how the Empire should behave?”
“As you will learn, money still makes the Empire work. Without money, most of everything is hard, the peasants grumble, and everything becomes more complicated. And we have to send the Green Army or the Eight Banners again.”
“Or just that team that pacified the Hubei.”
“Those Heroes can hardly be everywhere. When it is not the Eight Trigrams sect agitating, the Tiger Whips making themselves known, you have rebel bands, bandits, and salt smugglers plotting to remove the proper authorities and grasp the land.”
Jiaqing could see that his son – and heir, but not officially, lest some people plot against him – was seething.
“They are Heroes, not soldiers. Even if they are formally removed from the rolls of their Banners, and thus useable for internal pacification, there are only so few of them qualifying every year. Each full team might be worth almost a company by itself once they have suitably advanced, but we have far more companies than entire teams.”
“And yet, we cannot deal with barbarians.”
“We can. Just not to the results we want.”
“It pains me to have to tolerate them,” the Prince said between tightened lips.
“It’s like I am hearing your sister’s ramblings when it comes to those,” the Emperor chided him.
“Why do they get a Great Gate, anyway? Have the Heavens decided that barbarians are now worthy?”
“Who knows the will of the Heavens? I will not dare to contest their goal. If they set up a competition between the four corners of Earth, then let her show the Heavens that we still are worthy of the Mandate.”
The Emperor finally stepped off his mount, signaling the entire procession to disperse to their quarters. Yongyan was happy to be back at the Forbidden City.
He noticed his daughter and her guard – her team, actually – carefully arrayed to await his return. For once, she was back to the earthly realm. And freshly so, since she had not taken time to change back from her Heroic regalia.
Fair enough, the Emperor was also in riding clothes.
“This fall, you will accompany me to the Eastern Tombs. Even if you have the favor of the Heavens, it is important to pay proper homage to your ancestors,” he ordered.
“I will be ready,” she answered.
“How are you doing?” the Emperor asked.
“Few scholars agree on the right way to go. But we have peeked into the tier-five, and know what to expect. At least somewhat.”
“Choices again?”
“Fast or hard. Easy if you disperse your focus, hard if you want to maintain it. I will not do what I did again, I think.”
“I will not say that I understand your dilemma. But they are certainly part of the Heavens’ tests.”
“I have my path already chosen, father. I will grow my powers again, and the Indomitable Spellbringer title will be mine. It will just need the rest of the year.”
She looked in the distance.
“Do not neglect the mortal world for your pursuits of the Heavens,” the Emperor said as he turned away and headed toward his quarters.
Second-rank Zhuangjing
Health: 4232/4232 (3110)
Mind: 4838/4838 (3328)
Endurance: 1762/1762
Aether: 10346/10346 (8182)
Effective level: 358
Level 72 Resilient Spellwrangler
Level 62 Massive Spellwrangler
Level 42 Protector
Level 78 Solid Aethershaper
Level 58 Aetherist
Level 46 Arcanist
Experience: 131,530/432,000
Strength: 66 (40)
Dexterity: 53
Agility: 26
Constitution: 89 (55)
Stamina: 57 (24)
Wisdom: 103 (65)
Focus: 135 (49)
Presence: 89 (24)
Fortitude: 96 (68)
Intelligence: 401 (191)
Defense rating: 209
4% regeneration
30% elemental damage
15% health per CON
19% ice damage
13% lightning damage
18% earth damage
Milestones: Arcanist III, Aetherist IV, Solid Aethershaper VI, Protector III, Massive Spellwrangler V, Resilient Spellwrangler VI
Skills: Ice Dart (5), Flame Bolt (5), Forked Lightning (3+1), Firefall (3), Ice Storm (3), Earth Grasp (1), Everburn (1), Dodge (1), Repel (1), Anticipate (1), Aether Window (1), Asphyxiate (1), Cone of Frost (1), Aetheric Armor (0), Infuse Armor (0), Draw Defense (0), Burning Aura (0), Shock Touch (0), Lightning Grasp (0)
Gear: Light Emerald Diadem, Robe of the Winter Path, Silkwraps of the Mountain Path, Braids of the Red Steps, Billowing Blue Silk Leggings, Ankle-Length Mountain Boots, Iron Emerald Ring, Spring-Melt Braided Branch
----------------------------------------
9 - Casus Belli
Mid-Late Spring, 11th year of Jiaqing (1807)
“There is no doubt. We seized the opium as they were unloading it from their own ship, under the merchant’s gaze. The factor has been thrown in jail and will be executed once the proper method has been selected,” the Minister of Justice said.
“Have they grown so shameless in those recent days?” Emperor Jiaqing asked.
“They are seeking money. And they are complaining that we lack the proper authority to detain and punish their merchants.”
“Even if they flout our laws?”
“They maintain that their monarch is sovereign, and does not bend to the laws of others.”
“Then we will show them the error of their ways.”
“It will be done.”
The Emperor had admitted back in Beijing the three foreign kingdoms blessed by the Gates of the Heaven. Unfortunately, some of them took it as a sign that they could now ask for an audience whenever they wanted and did not display proper respect and humility. Mostly. De Guignes, the French head of their representation, knew how to behave most of the time.
“I bring concerns of my King to the attention of your Majesty,” the man, whose name escaped him, said through the interpreter.
“Then what are those?”
“Your recent decision to close the port of Canton for two years.”
“This one is done, and of your doing. Your King should keep a better hold on his merchantmen and punish them for their bad actions; we would not have to do it in your stead.”
“My government has already expressed the dismay at your… prompt execution of our merchant,” the man said, almost slipping into an insult.
“And we would have executed many more if we caught them in the act. You will have two years to make sure this… East India Company of yours is better behaved. This is final.”
The man was obviously distraught. The Emperor mollified a little.
“We could have closed it permanently. But, as befit a kingdom that has attracted favor with the Heavens, you will have an opportunity again. Just make sure you do not start dealing with smugglers again.”
“This will not go well in the home country,” the emissary warned.
“If your King had not been remiss in his duties, this would be unnecessary. But your diplomatic mission can remain if you wish to.”
The British withdrew from the audience. Jiaqing sighed once he was outside. He did not need anyone to tell him the arrogant English would probably try to find a way to restore trade as soon as possible.
“If the smugglers still ply the vile trade, you should be more forceful, father,” Prince Zhi said.
“They operate out of India, and don’t go near the coast, making them hard to catch in the act,” the Emperor apologized.
“We all know it’s all about the British. They even decreed a monopoly on opium in India, and are the ones who sell it to ‘independent’ sellers. And they haven’t stopped, despite your rebuke,” the Princess added to his brother’s plea.
“And those ships are well-armed and do not hesitate to fire if we try to board at sea. They still maintain it is their right to defend themselves, as the sea belongs to no one.”
“Save the strong,” Zhi spat.
“Why don’t we cut the opium at the source, then?” Zhuangjing asked.
“In India?” Jiaqing enquired.
“Why not. It is not too far from our borders in Tibet, even though the mountains are a fearsome obstacle,” she said. She added immediately, “the British are interlopers there anyway, having seized illegitimate authority on most of the Mughals. If we throw them away, we can stop their actions.”
“This would mean war. We have not waged a good war for a long time. The Eight Banners are good at defending our territory, but we have not defeated foreigners on their ground with great success since the Dzungar. The Minister of War says the Indian troops have good training and numbers.”
The children of the Emperor stayed silent until Zhuangjing offered a new suggestion.
“Why don’t we do as for the White Lotus? I have ventured into the Planes for long with Careful Tactician Luo Yuhan before he switched to a different team, and he often said his team then was having a fairly large impact for a few numbers. Their resilience against mortal weaponry and disproportional force, even if it is mostly a close range, broke the morale of the rebels.”
“This is different from waging war against small rebels, though. We have Heroes, but do we have enough?” Zhi noted.
Jiaqing noted that both seemed to already assume the Qing empire would go to war. He was not convinced that would be the proper course – he would need to discuss this further with the Grand Council of his Minister. But he was intrigued by the suggestion.
“We have vast lands and a vast number of subjects. Surely, it would not be hard to find more Heroes among them. I know, tradition has it that only proper Manchus bannermen test themselves at the entrance to the Planes. But if we need more Heroes to supplement our armies, we can.”
“Which means our armies are not ready,” the Emperor concluded.
Yongyan could see that his son’s grimaced at the reality. But the Princess wasn’t done.
“We do not need to train them for long. For almost all, the third tier of titles is the last useful. They need to take lesser titles to progress beyond, which means the time to make them better increases. But a year or some should suffice for making them formidable enough. Even simply passing the entrance is enough to bring benefits to a soldier. Getting them halfway through the third would make them formidable enough that numbers will be enough to offset whatever forces the Mughals can muster for their British masters.”
The Emperor had insisted to oversee the first intake of the Green Army. A swarm of nearly ten thousand, all set to jog at a steady pace across the pathways of the Forbidden City, making his guardsmen sweat in worry. Almost all of them would be turned away, of course, to resume their normal military careers. But two or three dozen would qualify, presumably. The next contingent would be tested a moon later.
That was his last act as the nominal commander of all things Heroes. With this expansion, the Ministers had argued that the task of overseeing those needed to be formalized. And, for a wonder, after disagreeing vehemently about which Board should oversee the Heroes, they had found a compromise in the form of a new Board. The future Minister of Heroes and the Planes would be the one in charge. He had already received many suggestions, as each Minister – save the minister of Punishments, oddly enough – had advanced names, trying to bypass the Board of Promotions and get one of their trusted subordinates nominated.
This might bite them back in the end, because Yongyan wouldn’t put much faith in the long-term loyalty of a subordinate promoted to a nearly equal footing to his former patron. But still, he would consider them, and try to pick the candidate who would probably be the most competent for this new type of management. Lang Yun, formerly of the Board of Personnel, was almost certainly a good fit on paper for the post. Whether or not it turned out correct remained to be seen.
Another soldier failed to reappear from the Great Gate, and a functionary jotted down a name on a list, recording a new Hero. His daughter had headed toward the Plaza in the first of the Planes, to receive and sort the first of those new blessed ones, as they entered the Plane.
For a while, he wondered what it would look like. To stand in the Planes, to be subject to the direct scrutiny of the Heavens.
And to witness streaks of rainbow fall from the sky, to deliver a newly appointed and bewildered Immortal Hero to his destiny.
Second-rank Zhuangjing
Health: 5132/5132 (3512)
Mind: 6056/6056 (4096)
Endurance: 2056/2056
Aether: 11732/11732 (9568)
Effective level: 412
Level 6 Indomitable Spellbringer
Level 48 Solid Spellwrangler
Level 72 Resilient Spellwrangler
Level 62 Massive Spellwrangler
Level 42 Protector
Level 78 Solid Aethershaper
Level 58 Aetherist
Level 46 Arcanist
Experience: 12,944/48,000
Strength: 78 (52)
Dexterity: 74 (53)
Agility: 30
Constitution: 89 (55)
Stamina: 57 (24)
Wisdom: 103 (65)
Focus: 155 (69)
Presence: 105 (40)
Fortitude: 117 (68)
Intelligence: 437 (227)
Defense rating: 299
4% regeneration
30% elemental damage
15% health per CON
19% ice damage
13% lightning damage
18% earth damage
12% air damage
12% fire damage
Milestones: Arcanist III, Aetherist IV, Solid Aethershaper VI, Protector III, Massive Spellwrangler V, Resilient Spellwrangler VI, Solid Spellwrangler IV
Skills: Ice Dart (6), Flame Bolt (6), Forked Lightning (3+1), Firefall (3), Ice Storm (4), Earth Grasp (1), Everburn (1), Dodge (1), Repel (1), Anticipate (1), Aether Window (1), Asphyxiate (1), Cone of Frost (1), Burning Aura (1), Aetheric Armor (0), Infuse Armor (0), Draw Defense (0), Shock Touch (0), Lightning Grasp (0), Freeze (0), Entomb (0)
Gear: Diadem of Green Winters, Robe of the Winter Path, Silkwraps of the Mountain Path, Braids of the Red Steps, Embroidered Silk Leggings, Ankle-Length Mountain Boots, Iron Emerald Ring, Pearl-inset Ring, Scepter of Winter Blue, Orb of the Three Colors
----------------------------------------
10 - Winterfall
Late Fall, 12th year of Jiaqing (1808)
“The Heavens were auspicious,” Princess Zhuangjing said, as she bowed formally to her father.
“On the day of your birth, they gifted my team with a treasure unseen before. And now, I can present it to you,” she added, proffering a lacquered ornate box.
Emperor Jiaqing smiled amiably in return and opened the box. There, set on a silk bedding, lay a small ring, made of braided silver wires, inset with a polished cut garnet. The item was well executed and ornate with the proper yellow of the Imperial power. But, if the ring came from the outer Planes of Heaven, then its craftsmanship merely reflected its transcendent nature.
Still, the Emperor was surprised. All treasures of the Heavens headed to the stores of the Ministry, for cataloging and future use by Heroes, as they retraced the steps leading to deeper planes once trod by their predecessors.
“Ah, yes, of course. Even this one, you cannot see for what it is.”
“And what is it, daughter?”
“An unprecedented treasure. Ancients are particularly challenging, but they always reward Heroic items, although sometimes those are for gifting to lesser rather than to be used. But this one…”
“This one?” he insisted, guessing she was somehow slightly needling him.
“Try it,” she merely said.
Frowning, the Emperor gingerly lifted the ring from its silken bed, turning it in his hand. Yongyan knew very well what happened to those daring to usurp the treasures of the Heavens. Sensations starting from the feeling of an ant colony swarming on your skin to the burning of hot iron applied on your back. Forcing a man to wear a robe or tunic was now considered an exquisite use of torture, as it did not leave dangerous wounds or anything once removed. People passed out when forced to wear even a basic one of high levels for more than half an hour.
Few criminals fared long facing the judgment of the Heavens.
Under the expectant gaze of his daughter, he slowly slid the ring on his left hand, ready to take it off. But the ring did not burn, slice across his bone, or anything.
“Are you playing with me? That one is a mortal copy of a treasure then…”
“No, father. It is truly a treasure, found in a chest of a tier-four lair after we defeated the final guardian. But it is the first of its kind. It is the first treasure we ever found that has no requirement of heroic favor amidst the Heavens.”
Silver Garnet Braided Ring
Ring
Heroic equipment
Requires: none
Provide: CON+1, PRE+1, STA+1, mind+7, health+4
The Emperor blinked in disbelief.
“Even if you cannot see the mark of the Heavens on it, any Hero will know it for what it is if they touch it.”
She explained to him the aspects imbued into the ring.
“So… does this mean my scores have grown? Should I try the Gates now, to see if I qualify?” he asked.
Zhuangjing’s face twisted in dismay.
“Alas, that’s a doomed enterprise. No gear we’ve found in the Planes allows us to bypass the requirements for the titles there. You have to qualify on your own merits. Otherwise, it would probably be easy to fast-track Heroes to higher achievements than they deserve.”
“So, no planar access for your father.”
“No. We all get one chance to qualify, and that’s it.”
“Unless you are already an Immortal Hero, and aspire to achieve even greater heights.”
“Well, you have one chance to start on the path and choose where it will lead you, then.”
Jiaqing looked at the ring on his finger.
“It is my hope that this will bring you the same benefits as it does for an Immortal Hero. More strength of mind, stronger constitution,” she said.
“Or even presence.”
“Not that the Emperor needs more such, of course!”
“Does Lang Yun know you absconded a treasure such as this?”
“He’ll deal with it. What’s he going to say, ask the Jiaqing for ‘his’ treasure back?”
“You like needling the man.”
“He presumes to order Heroes around, yet he isn’t one.”
“As I did.”
“It is different! You are the Emperor!”
“And all my Ministers write orders in my name, him like the others.”
The Emperor smiled, as his daughter almost pouted. She was still a young woman of 28 years, and there were times like that when she forgot decorum and looked less than 18, particularly when they were alone with barely a handful of guards and eunuchs.
“Notify him of the treasure still. Because I am sure you failed to do so.”
As the two left the room, Yongyan contemplated the first dancing white speck, announcing the first early snow before the onset of real winter. He had a particularly annoying duty the next day. But rather than send a minister to speak in his name, he thought it a necessary duty.
“So, how does the Greatest Hero progression goes these days?”
“We are still mapping out the extent of the fifth tier of the Planes. We have unlocked a single tier-six, and none of its titles are right for me. So, I am left trying to guess what shape those particular titles will have. The guesses among the scholars of the Ministry…” she paused at the mention, “… are some combination of Presence, Fortitude, Constitution, Strength, Agility…”
“In other words, all of them,” Jiaqing laughed.
“Well, the requirements seem to be increasing with each new tier. And besides, we have a new challenge awaiting us.”
“Oh, something new? Other than mortal-worthy treasures?”
“As we were mapping the Gekaumchas zone, we stumbled upon a true example of evil spirit. A type of lair guardian that was entirely new.”
“Above the Ancients you found on tier-three?”
“Much, much above those.”
Nussaci of the Empty Wind
Level 521 Legend
Health: 311,401
Mind: 564,372
Stamina: 241,172
Aether: 694,794
“It looked like smoke, wrapped in white silk ribbons. It had no limbs, no legs or arms, and only a vague impression of a head without a face,” she described.
“Beware. Evil spirits, even those placed in the outer Planes for your trials, are not to be trifled with.”
“Oh, I am sure. It is a special challenge, not merely an obstacle. Besides, it has so many vitals, compared to anything even above it, it will not be defeated for a long time. Zhan Bao has looked at it with his Gauge Enemy, and it has almost a thousand of Fortitude, which is its highest. That gives us a kind of gauge to measure ourselves against.”
“And you fall short.”
“All challenges in the Celestial Planes are made to be confronted, not avoided,” Zhuangjing asserted in a confident tone.
“Unless that one is made to teach you that lesson,” Jiaqing countered.
“We will see. It will not be soon anyway. I think we will need more teams to defeat it just as we needed for the first Ancient we tried. Many more.”
The audience room was warmed by heavy braziers, to banish the cold spell of the late November morning. The Emperor thought he had picked the day correctly, as it would probably reflect the announcement he was going to make. And the British ambassador would probably have disliked crossing the windy and iced alleys of the Forbidden City that early in the morning.
If said ambassador had no inkling of the nature of the summons, the presence of two of his Ministers lent weight on what was coming. Jiaqing had avoided having the Minister of War present, as it would send too obvious a message. But the Minister of Punishments and the Minister of Revenue would reinforce what was going to be said.
“Your Imperial Majesty, I am at your disposal,” the man said, curtsying… but not kowtowing.
“Well, we are nearing the end of the two-year probation for your return to Canton,” Jiaqing started before pausing to let the man answer.
“This has caused much displeasure among my government. Although many do not understand much of your country, cooler heads have still prevailed and are awaiting your leniency.”
“It is a strange thing, leniency. Although one can offer it, it has to be earned, or one pass for a fool instead.”
Yongyan didn’t miss the slight stiffening of the British. But he stopped a smile from coming to his face and pushed forward instead.
“Your traders still continue the vile practice of smuggling opium to our shores. Despite the fact that we now automatically subject them to strangulation when we catch them.”
“They are independent merchantmen, and we have little…”
“You have not tried to have any control over their behavior, you mean? One who lets things happen without even trying to stop them is one who approves. Your King seems to do so.”
The British remained silent, anticipating what was coming next.
“By your actions, you have failed to show contrition and remorse. So, we will not reopen Canton this spring. You are permanently banned from our shores, and your trade rights will not be restored. If… you want tea and silk, you will have to purchase them from your former colonies. I doubt you will trade much through the French, who might find Canton a more hospitable port next year,” he added, needling further the emissary.
The man was a professional envoy, though, and restrained himself from an outburst at the insult, but Yongyan could tell he was seething.
“You will have to spring to vacate your embassy, as your presence is no longer useful here, as there are no important matters left to discuss, at least for the foreseeable future. It is expected that your staff will be gone by the two-year anniversary of the closing of Canton.”
The man bowed stiffly and turned – rather than walking backward – toward the exit. Jiaqing watched the man depart into the icy cold and the rising winds that swept more and more the courtyards of the Forbidden City. No doubt cursing the weather as much as the Emperor of China.
This was, once again, a point on which he envied the Immortal Heroes. None of them were particularly bothered by such climate, even after only a few titles. This would have helped for a surprise offensive, sure, but even with over twenty full teams, they were supplementing a normal force, who couldn’t move easily across the mountains in winter, skirting Burma, to fall upon the Bengali lands where most of the opium was grown.
But come spring… fields would burn. And the kings of the Bengal would learn to properly manage their land, rather than let them fall into evil practices at the prompting of the British. Hopefully, that and the fall of Calcutta would suffice.
If not… the Board of the Heroes would send more recruits through the Gate anyway, just in case.
Second-rank Zhuangjing
Health: 6077/6077 (4457)
Mind: 6958/6958 (4998)
Endurance: 2632/2632
Aether: 14280/14280 (12116)
Effective level: 476
Level 14 Teaching Spellbringer
Level 56 Indomitable Spellbringer
Level 48 Solid Spellwrangler
Level 72 Resilient Spellwrangler
Level 62 Massive Spellwrangler
Level 42 Protector
Level 78 Solid Aethershaper
Level 58 Aetherist
Level 46 Arcanist
Experience: 100,065/126,000
Strength: 83 (57)
Dexterity: 74 (53)
Agility: 55
Constitution: 110 (55)
Stamina: 57 (24)
Wisdom: 123 (85)
Focus: 178 (73)
Presence: 150 (85)
Fortitude: 124 (75)
Intelligence: 519 (299)
Defense rating: 388
4% regeneration
30% elemental damage
15% health per CON
19% ice damage
13% lightning damage
18% earth damage
12% air damage
12% fire damage
12.5% aether damage
2.5% area of effect
Milestones: Arcanist III, Aetherist IV, Solid Aethershaper VI, Protector III, Massive Spellwrangler V, Resilient Spellwrangler VI, Solid Spellwrangler IV, Indomitable Spellbringer V, Teaching Spellbringer I
Skills: Ice Dart (8+1), Flame Bolt (7), Ice Storm (5), Firefall (4), Forked Lightning (3+1), Burning Aura (2), Earth Grasp (1), Everburn (1), Dodge (1), Repel (1), Anticipate (1), Aether Window (1), Asphyxiate (1), Cone of Frost (1), Aetheric Armor (0), Infuse Armor (0), Draw Defense (0), Shock Touch (0), Lightning Grasp (0), Freeze (0), Entomb (0), Wrapping Winds (0), Earthlink (0), Mirror Damage (0)
Gear: Diadem of Green Winters, Robe of the Winter Path, Red Silk Wraps of the Aether, Braids of the Red Steps, Embroidered Silk Leggings, Ankle-Length Mountain Boots, Iron Emerald Ring, Pearl-inset Ring, Locket in Red Tones, Scepter of Winter Blue, Black Book of the Mountain Path
----------------------------------------
11 - Tiger and Dragon
Summer, 15th year of Jiaqing (1811)
The ceremonial of Testing, the running of Han recruits into the Great Gate, was well established by now. Each new moon, twenty thousand coming from all over the provinces would be sent, and the ones who made it sorted into ad-hoc teams, taught the basics and spread over the zones, as the Celestial Planes were called.
Although the whole affair was well managed by the Board of Heroes now, the Emperor still made a point to watch. And sometimes, he even had the presence of his daughter and her team. She no longer directed some of the affairs – the Board had its own designated deputies among the Heroes who took care of the mundane order of shift each team to appropriate locations, to make sure they all had the required room to grow.
The less formal, more important, induction of the Manchu bannermen would go the next day. Those, unlike most Green Army support, would go on to cross the various tiers, to remain the elite of the Empire.
Still, they were reaching the limits of what the Planes could support. While the stores of Heavenly Treasures were filling from the upper Planes, the stocks of lower treasures were near empty, as the various trial lairs did not adequately renew the mass of the allocated gear used to facilitate the progression.
Speaking of treasures, Jiaqing looked at the polished face of his daughter’s defender, Zhan Bao.
Mirror Steel of the Gekaumchi Ghostwind
Head
Artifact
Requires: Level 449
Provide: 382 defense rating, +2 Gauge Enemy ranks, +1 Notice Attack rank, AGI+67, PRE+64, FOC+63, +868 health, +794 endurance, +677 aether, +5% team defense, +6% team mind
They had finally gathered enough strength to defeat that particular trial a month ago, he’d learned. After the near-disaster of their first attempt before the new year, he’d expected Zhuangjing to take longer to prepare herself again. But she’d overcome, as expected of her.
And the treasures she’d found were worthy of the challenge itself. For the first time, he’d seen, not merely supreme craftsmanship and materials, but truly heavenly treasure. Like this steel facemask that covered Zhan Bao.
The polished smooth curve reflected buildings, torches, and banners of the surroundings… but not people. Seen through the slightly distorted reflection on that mask, the courtyard seemed empty, with only the small movement of the banners in the wind still visible on the near-perfect mirror. But mortals and immortals alike were absent, leaving the mirrored plaza completely empty of life. This, more than anything, showed the supreme nature of the Artifact.
And, of course, he’d gotten his own gift. A smooth globe of pearly yellows, like some perfect south sea pearl grown to immense size. An Extended Sphene Orb, as his daughter called it, referring to the invisible – to him – designation from the Heavens. It had no property, no intrinsic use whatsoever for an Immortal, save for the marking of the Heroes' victory. And he could hold it without the usual rebuke of the Heavens, even if it had no further value, beyond its existence.
It would stay in his private quarters, and Zhuangjing had assured him he would get many more to mark the progression of the Middle Kingdom among the Celestial Planes and their trials. Although the tower ruin where Nussaci of the Empty Wind had been found remained empty, as the lesser spirits that had been surrounding it were already back at their own posts.
After the ceremonial wound to a close, and the stream of candidates for elevation dribbled to an end, the Emperor and his daughter found themselves on a stroll, as he often did whenever she was present in the mortal world.
“So, what lessons did my daughter gain while facing the Heavens this time?”
“Timing is the lesson. It all boils down to this. I have learned that you do need to accept taking your time, to make yourself whole, to advance later.”
“Which reminds me that time is fleeting, daughter.”
Zhuangjing looked at her father curiously before suddenly realizing the nature of his remark.
“Does it, father?”
“You are 30, daughter. Time still flows, and your years go by.”
Her face sagged slightly.
“Marriage or the Planes, is it? Again?”
“Well, no, of course. I would hardly prevent the Greatest Hero from going in the outer Planes and keep growing…”
“But you have to choose between children and the Planes.”
The Emperor stopped at the remark, looking obliquely at his daughter.
“I’ve spoken with some barbarian Heroes. The American delegation had some visiting us last year, including a Light Destroyer woman, since the Americans make little allowance for the sex of their Heroes.”
“Barbarians,” the Emperor said curtly.
“But we talked at length of her experiences. And while the stopping of the moon periods is universal…”
“What?”
“The innate regeneration of Heroes deals away with that particular aspect of the feminine. Why would bleeding occur, when any cut you take simply vanishes within a minute or less?” she simply explained.
The Emperor had no simple answer to that logic. He simply hadn’t thought about it. Did that mean…
“But while Heroic status is good for having a child, as birth is usually uncomplicated and relatively painless, going into the Planes is a no.”
“Why?”
“Because if the child is not a Hero himself – or herself – he will not be admitted. Crossing the Gate with an unqualified child simply miscarriages immediately. And without the signs of being with child obvious, I would be permanently barred from the Planes, lest any potential child be immediately ended at the Great Gate.”
The Emperor had never considered that idea. Which threw his plans in disarray.
“There is more to marriage than children, though. Alliances…”
“Which husband is going to expect a wife that he knows could, but will not bear him an heir?” she bluntly asked.
Jiaqing was unwilling to push the conversation further, and thus, he stayed silent. And his daughter, slightly sensitive to the mood, did not restart it.
Although he was now sure of his decision not to allow women through the Great Gate, after the disastrous ending of the marriage between Jiang Shun and his heroic wife Liu Yimu, as the former could not abide by the intrinsic power of the latter. Three were… at least two too much.
Mianning, Prince Zhi, sat down next to his father, as the Emperor contemplated the blooms of the gardens.
“So, father, you are troubled. Again. Does the progress of the conquest of the Mughals weigh you down that much?”
“What? No, although I’d expected more concrete results.”
“It is one thing to conquer, but pacifying an area is the work of generations, and no Immortal Hero is going to change that,” Mianning said.
“And we may yet have to conquer the whole of India. Razing the locations of the opium growth and locking down the main ports for it would be enough, but the Mughals don’t see it that way.”
“And that is why you keep having those Green Army recruits funneled through the Planes.”
“We need to. A small kingdom like Bengal is easily defeated, but all those southern kingdoms have taken notice,” Jiaqing said.
“They have noticed that we are better than we used to be. I know it is hard to compare yourself to the man that grandfather, the Qianlong, was, by all accounts. But you will be not just his equal, but greater.”
“Me or whoever succeeds me.”
“Have you changed that slip of a name in the box, father?”
“And what makes you think it has yours?”
“It could hardly have been my brother, seeing how much of a small brat he was when grandfather died,” the Prince smiled.
“That is not very brotherly, Prince Zhi,” Jiaqing laughed.
“You should not hide the truth about your brother from your father. Besides, he’s grown up. A bit,” Mianning admitted.
“He’s younger than you, so he may have more years in him. Having a good succession is important.”
“Hey. I have a son already. And a strong daughter as well,” the Prince protested.
“And with the help of the healer Heroes, they may grow stronger than their parents,” Jiaqing said. “If, hopefully, they are of help. Sometimes, I feel like some kind of charlatan is trying to impress me with invisible puppetry.”
“The Planes are not only the source of military strength, father.”
They both looked toward the distance, where, invisible from there, the Great Gate stood.
“Have you made a decision?”
“Yes, of course. Our dynasty will need her strength, just like China needs its Heroes. That is more important than strengthening alliances among the banners. There are other ways of doing that, other children to bring the clans together. There is only one Greatest Hero.”
“So, she is the tiger we ride? You trust her that much?”
“I’ve listened to her words. She would never sit on the heavenly throne, nor bear an heir if she did. She values the trials of the Celestial Planes too much to remain bound to the Earth, or at least for now. She is the celestial storm I need at my back, and the one you will have, the day you ascend to the throne. Although you will have to find a way to replace her because even if you can hope for her presence at your back, your son, or his own son, will have to find his own strength when she faces retirement.”
The Emperor stood up from his bench and started back toward the darkening Forbidden City borders.
“No, she’s no tiger we ride and dare not let go lest it bites us. She’s the power behind the throne, the protector of our legacy. She is a dragon, not a tiger.”
Mianning laughed, and his father threw him an interrogative glance.
“A team came back from mapping more of the tier-six. And they report that, to the side of their zone… Banskar? … they found a dragon. A lord of the skies, swirling and patrolling. And guarding a huge chest.”
“Ah.”
“Yes. No doubt she will spend the next years plotting on how to steal from a dragon’s hoard.”
He added whimsically, “Although, with nearly 200 levels over her, it will be a few years indeed before she claims that dragon’s inheritance for herself.”
“Good. One needs a goal in life. Then another once the previous has been achieved. A dragon that sleeps on his hoard is worthless,” the Emperor Jiaqing, holder of the Mandate of Heaven, concluded.
Huamani, Sky-Watcher
Level 809 Legend
Health: 772,372
Mind: 407,267
Stamina: 614,270
Aether: 950,723
Second-rank Zhuangjing
Health: 8271/8271 (4816)
Mind: 10823/10823 (8756)
Endurance: 4561/4561 (3871)
Aether: 21629/21629 (18166)
Effective level: 601
Level 27 Masterful Schemer
Level 55 Careful Opportunist
Level 57 Teaching Spellbringer
Level 56 Indomitable Spellbringer
Level 48 Solid Spellwrangler
Level 72 Resilient Spellwrangler
Level 62 Massive Spellwrangler
Level 42 Protector
Level 78 Solid Aethershaper
Level 58 Aetherist
Level 46 Arcanist
Experience: 129,113/297,000
Strength: 189 (81)
Dexterity: 53
Agility: 243 (77)
Constitution: 55
Stamina: 74 (24)
Wisdom: 170 (113)
Focus: 172 (119)
Presence: 196 (85)
Fortitude: 272 (163)
Intelligence: 909 (347)
Defense rating: 627
6% regeneration
42% elemental damage
15% health per CON
24% ice damage
16% lightning damage
18% earth damage
12% air damage
12% fire damage
15.5% aether damage
12.5% area of effect
1.66 aether per DEX
2% aether conservation
Milestones: Arcanist III, Aetherist IV, Solid Aethershaper VI, Protector III, Massive Spellwrangler V, Resilient Spellwrangler VI, Solid Spellwrangler IV, Indomitable Spellbringer V, Teaching Spellbringer V, Careful Opportunist V, Masterful Schemer II
Skills: Ice Dart (9+2), Flame Bolt (9+2), Ice Storm (6+1), Firefall (5), Burning Aura (3+1), Forked Lightning (3), Earth Grasp (2), Aether Window (1+1), Wrapping Winds (1+1), Everburn (1), Dodge (1), Repel (1), Anticipate (1), Asphyxiate (1), Cone of Frost (1), Mirror Damage (1), Entomb (1), Reverse Loss (1), Cleanse Disease (0+1), Shock Touch (0), Lightning Grasp (0), Freeze (0), Earthlink (0), Balance Health (0), Clear Fatigue (0)
Gear: Ribbons of the Wintry Path, Ceremonial Silk in White, Fingerless Silk Covers, Girdle of the Mountain Steps, Padded Reinforced Silk Trousers, Thrice-Soled Sandals of Twisting Paths, Diamond Ring of the Waters, Triple-Braid Ring, Pendant of the Depths, Blooming Branch in the Storm