Prince Jin awoke to the sound of rain, an unfamiliar sound. He forced opened his eyes, then traced the room, etchings of sleep still holding him tightly. This isn’t my room, He thought, noticing something hazy in the middle of the room.
As his eyes cleared, confusion rose within him. His memories slowly came to. Did the fire reach my residence? He asked. He looked at his hands, noticing they weren’t marred nor were his lungs filled with smoke. He was fine. But why were his clothes different?
He groaned and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, rubbing at his bleary eyes. Then stirred, he caught sight of a tray of his favourite dishes on a table nearby. “Rui? Are you there?” He called out, expecting his attendant to appear. There was no response. “Hua?” Still nothing. His bodyguard was always nearby. Something was amiss.
The door creaked open, making Prince turn left. He wasn’t scared as he was a prince. He slid off the bed ready to greet Hua, but paused when he saw who walked in.
The gardener, dressed in commoner’s clothes. “What are doing here?” The prince snapped.
The gardener’s eyes widen from surprise, then dropped to his knees the moment he saw Prince Jin awake. “I report to the prince. My name is Shi Xiu of the Black Cauldron,”
“Black Cauldron?” Prince Jin said more than asked, confused. Black Cauldron? I’ve never heard of such a thing. Did I skip a lesson somewhere?
“Yes, Prince,” Shi Xiu answered keeping his head lowered. “I am a dingshe, Prince. A hidden bodyguard assigned to you by the emperor himself.”
“A mere gardeners meant to protect me?” He scoffed, trying his best not to laugh. I know I am young, but this seems ludicrous, Prince Jin thought.
Shi Xiu appeared in front of the prince in flash, but still bowed. He reached inside his tunic and the Jin heart leapt in fright. He’s going to assassinate me!
“Hu-- “ He tried to say, but felt an envelope drop in his lap, making him stop. Prince Jin stared at him, then to the envelope, deciding what to do. As hard as he tried to hide his irritation, he realised that the man was sincere as he kept his head bowed, showing the prince reverence. …he might be lying, He thought, lets see what this is all about.
The prince picked up the envelope, feeling its rough texture. He turned it over, noticing his father’s seal. The emperor’s seal. He broke the seal then pulled the letter free carefully and unfolded it.
This is Shi Xiu. He is a Dingshe of the Black Cauldron, a hidden guard I’ve assigned to protect you. His counsel must be considered at all times in matters of your protection if something were to happen to me.
As the prince Jin sat there, he read the letter over and over, trying to understand what it meant. He couldn’t state the letter wasn’t valid, because it was. He knew his father’s handwriting, but to see such characters ‘if something were to happen to me’ was scarier than an invasion from Axsum, in Prince Jin’s eyes.
After the twelfth re-read, he reassessed himself and the man kneeling before him. I always thought he was too big to be a gardener, He thought.
“Shi Xiu, is it?” Prince Jin said firmly, “What happened?”. Shi Xiu remained knelt and retreated back to the table before he began.
“The fire, your Highness it was a distraction,” he said, voice calm and steady. ”Assassins infiltrated the palace and targeted the imperial family. I’m not sure of the fates of your stepmothers and brothers. I have been waiting for the signal from the other dingshes but nothing has come into fruition.”
“What of my father?” Prince Jin asked, hiding the strain in his voice.
“I'm not certain, Prince,” Shi Xiu confessed. “My priority was to ensure your safety first. As I’ve yet to see or hear from other dingshes, I believe the situation is dire.”
The prince didn’t respond, but took his words into consideration. He knew he had to say something, but what? What was is that Teacher Qin said? He thought. After three minutes of thinking, it finally came to him. To know what you know and what you do not know, that is true knowledge. “Shi Xiu,” He said softly, “return to the Dragon Palace and find out what happened.”
“My duty is to protect you, your Highness. If I leave--“ Shi Xiu said, hesitation clear.
“We need to know what happened or we can’t make informed decisions!” The prince snapped, trying his best impersonation of his father.
His father told him, as Emperor, you must act that what you say is how things must be for people to follow. “You must speak with resolve,” His father’s words, echoing in his mind but at the young age of eight years old…it would be hard to mimic such charisma, but he could try and now with this crisis at hand, this would be a good time to start. “I will remain here until your return.” He then added
“As you command, young prince.” Shi Xiu said, bowing deeply. He turned heading toward the door, then turned back bowing once more. “Young Prince Jin, If I do not return by sundown, I urge you to escape on your own. In the chest over there are documents of a new identity for you to use for travel.”
“I won’t need it, return at once…safely.”
“Yes, Young Prince.”
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Shi Xiu turned on his heels and disappeared from the room, leaving Prince Jin alone with his fears and uncertainty.
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Shi Xiu descended a narrow wooden staircase of the inn, his eyes darting across the candlelit room below. As his ears attuned to the quiet whispers of guests. The tankards clinked with the soft patter of rain against the windows.
The real world wasn’t filled with palace intrigue and well-mannered chaos; it was raw, unpredictable and dangerous. As he stepped out into the rain-soaked streets, his mind couldn’t help but draw comparisons between the palace and the world outside.
The palace was like a finely-tuned instrument, each part performing its role in harmony with others, but the outside world was a discordant symphony of life’s highs and lows. “Can you spare any free coin, Sir?” A vagrant said to his left.
He looked at the vagrant and his mind wandered whether this man was part of the Golden Bowl Sect. He couldn’t afford to make himself seem important, nor have the change to spare, worst of all…draw attention to himself.
Shi Xiu had one job, a simple at that. Discover what happened within the Dragon Palace and return to the prince’s side as fast as possible.
Shi Xiu walked the wet streets, his feet sinking into the mud with each step. He could feel the moisture squelching outside of his boots. The dirt streets of the capital had transformed into a mire under the persistent rain, a contrast compared to maintained stone pathways of the Dragon Palace.
The people he passed mirrored the gloom of the day. Their faces etched with worry, eyes reflecting fear of the unknown. The fire that ravaged the Great Western Library could’ve meant anything.
A possible beacon of change and uncertainty, a symbol of the chaos that infiltrated their lives. Despite the steady rain fall washing over the city, it failed to cleanse the sense of unease that hung in the air.
No news, was a horrible kind of news, especially when it related to the palace. Anxiety could be felt throughout the city, brewing like a storm on the horizon. In a city where whispers travelled faster than horses.
The unnerving silence was deafening.
People moved with caution, their interactions hushed and hurried. The vibrancy of the city seemed to have been drained, replaced by a muffled apprehension.
The capital was quieter than Shi Xiu had ever known it to be. There was no laughing, children playing in the streets, no boisterous vendors advertising their wares. Even the usually bustling market was subdued, its activity reduced to a low hum.
In his years as a Dingshe, he’d learned to trust his instincts. And right now, they were screaming at him, letting him know this calm was the quiet before the storm.
He made his way northern section of the city. He slipped into an abandoned building. Then made his way to the cellar. He nudged, pressing down on a fixed slab on the floor, a hidden passage door opened up on the floor.
Once he was inside the secret tunnel, he changed into his gardener’s attire and made his way back onto the compound. As a gardener, he kept his shoulders slumped and his gaze fixed to the ground, ensuring no one would take notice of him.
As he made his way around the South and Eastern sections of the Dragon Palace, gathering information by eavesdropping on quiet conversations and observing the palace’s mood.
The majority of his information came from the kitchen courtyard, the problem was, the gardeners in that section wore a different colour, unlike the one he wore in the prince’s courtyard.
The emperor’s dead, Shi Xiu thought, sweeping one of the pavilions located in the kitchen quarters. The entire Imperial family is dead…all but Prince Jin.
A slight relief washed over him, but that was only for a short while, sorrow resonated as he thought about how lonely the young prince would be, but yet again. He had no time to be meek, he needed to find out what truly happened. Why would Dingshes that were supposed to be dead return to kill the Emperor?
That puzzled him, he wasn’t as smart as Zhu Yusheng Shi nor did he cared to be, but something like this, had to be thought on for a long time. …for the prince’s sake.
The sun began to set and Shi Xiu made his way back into the tunnels. He made it through the tunnels, the foul scent of death ruminating through the tunnels.
It didn’t surprise him, the assailants were former dingshes. Men that knew their way around the tunnels. He ripped off a piece of his robe, covered his nose and made his way the tunnels, doubling and tripling back trying to find the route leading to the Emperor’s Library.
As Shi Xiu’s heart thumped, he heard a familiar voice through the creases of the walls. “Minister Tong, The Imperial Family is dead, what do you mean you still have a duty to do?”
“Minister Song, the Emperor may be dead…but his orders are final. Do you want the barbarians to attack Faizou and infiltrate Huaxia?”
“You know my answer to that Minister Tong, but the emperor is dead. The council must convene and decide the next Emperor as dictated by the writ.”
“The Writ?” Minister Tong scoffed, “protecting the lives of Huaxia comes first. But I understand what you are trying to say, but tell me who would dare start a Civil War when the borders aren’t even safe?” Minister Tong asked calmly.
A silence fell between to the two ministers, making Shi Xiu believe that the conversation had ended abruptly. He began walking up the stairs, as quietly as possible, until Minister Song spoke again. “I will announce that the emperor has gone into retreat with his family, will that be enough time for you to fight the barbarians?”
“War doesn’t work that way, but it would help.”
“Good…After the retreat, I will then announce the emperor has died in seclusion. The crown prince will abdicate and then we can convene who would will take the throne.”
“Do as you wish,” Minister Tong said calmly, “I’ll take my leave.”
General Tong and Minister Song…what are they insinuating? Are they planning to hide the emperor’s assassination? Shi Xiu mused bitterly. The audacity of both of them both!
A storm raged within Shi Xiu. He wanted to storm into the library, but that wouldn’t help Prince Jin. Not now. Not ever, he has to get to the bottom of this.
After waiting a long while, he pulsed the Qi within his Soul Dantian and tried to see if anyone reacted with their own within the emperor’s library.
He did it a few times, realising that no one reacted and pushed his way into the library and felt the cold chill of the room send goosebumps around his neck.
Shi Xiu made his way through the library and found his way to Emperor’s study. He pushed the giant doors open and a groan followed, but hopefully not loud enough for anyone to hear.
He slid in and was hit in the nose by the scent of dried metallic blood. He began rummaging through the study, picking up everything found he though the prince could use.
It didn’t matter, once it had the emperor’s seal. He took it. Then an idea formed in his head. “I’m sorry young Prince,” He said softly, “if they plan to lie about their deaths, then I can take you away from this place before you decide on taking foolish action.”
Once Shi Xiu finished, he then slid back through the secret wall and made his way to the Imperial Vault. Once in the vault, he passed many treasures, swords, shields, armours, but one thing he knew would help the Prince if he were to retake the throne.
As the Imperial Seal stood before him, his eyes shined from the jade reflecting off the artifact. “Beautiful,” He said softly, then scooped off its stand.
The dingshe returned to the young prince, his heart burdened with the weight of a nation's future. But for now, his priority was keeping Prince Jin safe.