The Dragon Gods Box Set

by Resa Nelson

“She wasn’t standing. She was on her back. When I leaned over her, it was very easy for her to kick. The woman must be punished.”

  Ignoring the man’s demand, Emperor Po said, “And why was she on her back?”

  Ming Mo looked up in astonishment. “Because I captured her. I married her. I took her to my bed as every husband has the right to do with his woman.”

  Without looking at Ti, Emperor Po felt her bristle. Even a woman belonging to the royal family could be captured if she were to stray from the palace grounds. The thought of such a thing happening to Ti sickened the emperor.

  Ming Mo spoke as if explaining the law. “I have every right.”

  “You are correct,” Emperor Po said. “You do have the right to capture a bride. But I advise you to consider one thing: you have the right to treat a wife any way you wish, good or bad. But the better you treat your bride, the less likely she is to kick you in the face.”

  Ti laughed out loud.

  Another woman in court laughed. When Emperor Po scanned the room to locate the woman who laughed, he relaxed when he recognized her.

  Good. I need her to be here.

  Emperor Po looked steadily at the wronged man and gave him a brief smile. “At the same time, I understand your complaint, but you have stepped into a delicate situation. I will take some time to explain this situation to my family member, because it concerns my family.”

  The man blanched and cast a fearful look at the royal guards standing nearby.

  Speaking in a low voice to his daughter, Emperor Po said, “This began yesterday with TeaTree.”

  “TeaTree?” Ti’s forehead crinkled in surprise. “Our master of wardrobe?”

  “TeaTree is more than that. He is the most successful merchant in the known world. It’s not just our family he dresses. Yesterday afternoon he came into court with a request.”

  “What kind of request?”

  Emperor Po smiled. “A most interesting one.” Raising his voice once more, he said to Ming Mo, “Be seated. I understand your complaint, but I need nothing more from you. I call Madam Po to step forward and speak.”

  “Madam Po?” Ti whispered. “Who is that?”

  An elderly woman with hair as white as snowflake flowers approached Emperor Po and offered a brief bow.

  “Madam Po,” the emperor announced to the entire court, “is my distant relative and therefore connected to the royal family. Yesterday she asked me to help retrieve her great-granddaughter from danger.” Emperor Po gave a pointed look at Ming Mo. “Explain to me why you believe you are entitled to capture a bride who is connected to the royal family.”

  “I didn’t know!” Ming Mo sputtered.

  “He chose not to listen,” Madam Po said. “We attempted to tell him, but his people drove us away.”

  “I did listen!” Ming Mo said. “I heard nothing about the royal family, but I know that foreigner acts as if my bride already belongs to him!” Ming Mo pointed at a tall, blonde man wearing the clothing that any Far Eastern man in Zangcheen might wear.

  A Northlander. I thought they were all dead. What is a Northlander doing in Zangcheen?

  Emperor Po pointed at the Northlander man. “Who are you?”

  Madam Po made another brief bow and said, “Emperor Po, if you please. This man doesn’t know our language. Would you permit me to speak on his behalf?”

  “I want to hear from the captured bride,” Emperor Po said. “Where is your great-granddaughter?”

  Madam Po gestured toward a tall Far Eastern woman standing behind her.

  Still standing next to her father, Ti wrinkled her nose in distaste. She whispered, “She stands too tall for a woman.”

  Madam Po continued. “But my great-granddaughter knows nothing of our language either.”

  Emperor Po frowned. “How can that be?”

  Madam Po said, “I will happily explain if you allow me to speak for both of them.”

  Emperor Po gave a slight nod. “Permission granted.”

  “Before you were born, my daughter married a Northlander man and followed him to settle in his country. My great-granddaughter was raised in that foreign culture, but she looks like us. A Northlander man guided her to Zangcheen with kindness in his heart. Of course, once he chose to cross the Far East border, the law dictates that he become the slave of the one who first finds him.” Madam Po smiled. “And that, of course, would be my great-granddaughter, for she found him many years before arriving in Zangcheen. Therefore, the Northlander man is already the slave of my great-granddaughter.”

  “No!” Ming Mo said. “The foreigner protects my bride!” He lunged toward the tall woman, who spun to punch at him in defense.

  Before anyone realized what was happening, the Northlander man grabbed Ming Mo’s shoulders, wrenched him to the ground, and pinned his knee against the man’s chest.

  The tall woman pulled a dagger from beneath Ming Mo’s belt and pointed it at his face. She then looked at TeaTree, who stood on the other side of Madam Po, and shouted at him.

  TeaTree shook his head slightly.

  “Guards!” Emperor Po shouted. “Separate the opposing parties.”

  The royal guards acted quickly and herded Madam Po and her group to one side of the courtroom and the wronged man and his fellow villagers to the other.

  Back on his feet, Ming Mo stood tall, as if that could lift him above the possibility of being humiliated again. “Do you see? They are barbarians!” He pointed at the tall woman, Madam Po’s great-granddaughter. “She must be executed for her disrespect!”

  Madam Po took a few steps forward and offered another bow. “Emperor Po, I beseech you. The girl has been in the Wulong Province for but two days. She is removed from our culture by generations, and she knows little of it. On her behalf and on behalf of her slave, I beg for mercy.”

  Emperor Po studied the scene before him. The royal guards now stood in the aisle to separate the two groups.

  Ming Mo and his people glared in outrage, expecting the law supporting their demand for the girl’s execution to be upheld.

  Madam Po and TeaTree acted with great reverence and waited with patience and grace.

  But then Emperor Po noticed something peculiar. Madam Po’s great-granddaughter and her slave not only stood side by side, but they also held hands.

  The wronged man’s suspicions must be right. The Northlander isn’t her slave—he’s her husband. And Madam Po knew their marriage would put them in jeopardy if anyone found out.

  Emperor Po didn’t want to kill them. Yesterday’s death sentence still took a toll on him, and he wanted no more blood on his hands. He needed some time to figure out a solution.

  To the court, he said, “This situation is complicated. I believe it requires a woman’s opinion, and I will take a brief time to consult with my daughter.”

  “A woman?” Ming Mo shouted.

  Ti brought down the staff hard against the floor. Once more, a sound as loud as thunder echoed through the courtroom.

  Ming Mo’s family and friends stepped away from him.

  Ignoring them, Ming Mo stood his ground. “This is about the law! About our rights! The only time a woman should be involved is when she’s punished by the law!”

  In a quiet voice, the emperor said, “The law also states that the greatest reverence of all must be given to the emperor. There are punishments for breaking that law, too.”

  Ming Mo continued to fume but kept his mouth shut.

  Emperor Po stood and took his daughter by the hand, leading her to stand by the wall behind them on which the staffs of the previous emperors were displayed. “This is a confusing case,” he said. “What do you make of it?”

  “Why do you ask?” Ti said. She still held the staff. “Why didn’t you dismiss me?”

  “I have been thinking that marriage may not be enough to keep you safe. The palace grounds may not be enough to keep you safe.” Emperor Po chose his words carefully and watched to see how his daughter would react. “You have no brot
hers. Too many men are vying to make you their bride because your husband will be next in line to become emperor.”

  Ti nodded her understanding.

  “But I am emperor, and I have the power to change any law. I could make the law say that the emperor’s reign will be awarded to his eldest child—whether that child is a son or daughter.”

  Ti stared at him in disbelief. “You’re saying that I would become the next emperor. But what if I marry?”

  “If you marry, your husband would have to obey you as his empress, just as your step-mother must obey me.”

  Ti smiled, her eyes coming alive with hope.

  “So, take today as practice,” Emperor Po said. “If you were empress, what would you do? How do you sort out the laws for this case?”

  Ti turned and looked at the people waiting for judgment. “If the great-granddaughter married the Northlander, they are clearly in defiance. The law says that no Far Eastern woman can marry a foreigner.”

  “Unless special permission is granted.” Emperor Po shrugged. “But they must have been married before they came here. What if the marriage is legal and proper in their home country?”

  Ti answered quickly. “Then they should have stayed in their home country.”

  “Even if the girl comes to visit her great-grandmother? If the girl had ever come here before, someone would have noticed—you can’t miss a woman who stands head and shoulders above everyone else. That means this is probably the first time she has met her great-grandmother. It is likely the reason she came here. She probably brought her husband along to protect her. Should we fault her for that?”

  Ti thought long and hard before answering. “You are saying it is unfair to expect foreigners to abide by our laws when they have no way of understanding them.” She lit up with a new thought. “But what if it were a crime like murder? How can we excuse foreigners of heinous crimes just because they don’t know our laws?”

  Emperor Po nodded his approval. “Now you think like an empress. I believe all lands have laws about the most heinous crimes like murder. Had our distant cousin killed Ming Mo instead of bruising his face, it would be within my power to sentence her to death. But she has committed a lesser crime. I once heard that the Far East is the only land in the known world that has laws allowing a woman to be captured as a bride.”

  “How can that be true?”

  “All lands have their own ways and make laws that support them. Other lands have their own customs of marriage, and I imagine they might think our law of captured brides to be shocking.”

  “Do you mean the barbaric countries think we’re the barbarians?”

  “It’s all a matter of perspective.”

  Ti then surprised Emperor Po by saying, “Maybe they’re right. I would much rather be empress than be captured as some man’s bride.” She shuddered. “Especially if he’s a stranger.”

  Emperor Po took his daughter’s words to heart and saved them for future thought. He thought about his youngest child and her fading health. He returned his attention to the case at hand but still spoke privately to his daughter. “I believe I have a solution to this case. It will sound shocking, but you must keep your composure when I announce the punishment. Can you do that?”

  Ti gave a solemn nod to her father, the emperor of the city of Zangcheen and the Wulong Province.

  “This is enough court for one day,” Emperor Po said quietly to his daughter. “Go home. Go back to playing your tournament. I’ll join you shortly.”

  Ti strained as if preventing herself from saying something she might regret. Finally, she handed the staff to Emperor Po and said, “Yes, Father.”

  Normally, Emperor Po would have returned the staff to the wall on which it was displayed. Feeling the need to demonstrate his authority, he decided to keep it in hand.

  CHAPTER 21

  Emperor Po faced the dozens of people who had thronged into his empty courtroom at the end of the day. Directing his attention toward his distant relative, he said, “Madam Po, your great-granddaughter has committed the crime of battering the man who legally captured her as his bride. I grant leniency due to her ignorance of our laws. Therefore, I assign a lesser punishment. She will join my other concubines.”

  Madam Po faced him with a serene and confident look.

  However, Ming Mo hollered, “But she’s mine! I caught her in all fairness! The law says she belongs to me!”

  “Silence!” Emperor Po called out. “The law also states that when a captured bride is related to the dynastic family that the emperor may rescind the marriage.” He paused when the wronged man and his entourage protested. Emperor Po glared at them until they stopped talking. “On behalf of the Po Dynasty, I rescind your marriage. You may leave this courtroom.” When they stood their ground, the emperor added, “If you fail to leave at once, you commit an act of defiance punishable in the same way you hoped your bride would be punished.”

  Terror befell their faces. Ming Mo and the people who had come with him hurried out of the courtroom without looking back.

  “Guards,” Emperor Po said. “Escort the young woman to the Hall of Concubines with the same respect you would give to my own daughters.”

  Five royal guards approached the tall Far Eastern woman, but when they encouraged her to move, she refused and shouted, “GranGran!”

  Madam Po bowed to the emperor and said, “Excuse me please for one moment.” She turned to her great-granddaughter and spoke a few foreign words.

  The tall Far Eastern woman shouted and pointed her dagger at the royal guards.

  Emperor Po held his tongue, trusting that Madam Po would get the situation in hand before he had to increase the punishment. His interest piqued when TeaTree stepped between two of the royal guards and spoke emphatically to the woman in the Northlander language.

  When the Northlander man rushed toward them, Madam Po placed a grip on his arm with such force that it jerked him back from his forward momentum.

  The Northlander man wants to protect her.

  Every word that TeaTree uttered seemed to work magic, because the young woman and her Northlander husband slumped in resignation. Finally, TeaTree nodded at Madam Po. In turn, she gestured for the royal guards to escort her great-granddaughter away.

  One guard took the dagger away from the young woman.

  After the guards took the young woman out of the courtroom, Emperor Po said, “I claim the Northlander man as my servant by rightful law. As for the rest of you, it is unclear whether you attempted to help commit a crime or if you happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I need more information before I can place judgment, so I request a private conversation with Madam Po.”

  To the royal guards, he said, “Bring Madam Po to the council room at once.”

  With that, Emperor Po turned his back on the courtroom and exited.

  * * *

  Seated at the head of the council table, Emperor Po waved the royal guards to escort Madam Po to the chair next to his. If she were anyone else, he would insist on keeping a good distance from her as a reminder of his power. But Madam Po had already exhibited proper respect while commanding the same.

  When Madam Po plopped on the chair and the royal guards closed the door to the council room behind them, Emperor Po spoke to her with the same reverence he would use to address his own great-grandmother if she were still alive. “We meet at last, ni shu. I’ve heard many stories about you for as long as I can remember.”

  Madam Po chuckled and returned his expression of honor at a higher level. “I can say the same about you, ge xia.” She maintained a stoic and firm posture in the chair. She sat up straight with strong shoulders, unlike people decades younger who hunched forward.

  Emperor Po smiled. “And yet you never made any claim to your right to live in the royal complex. Even my most distant cousins rush to court the moment they come of age.”

  Madam Po matched his smile with her own. “And you deny them.”

  “Yes, but they’re f
ar more distant relations than you. Am I right in remembering you are the niece of my own great-grandmother?”

  “Yes. And your grandmother’s cousin.”

  The conversation intrigued and delighted Emperor Po. His grandmother had told him stories of a cousin who opted out of dynasty life for the sake of a spiritual one. Now this storied woman sat next to him, and he relished the opportunity to learn more about her. “You would have been welcome to live in the royal city. You still are welcome to live here. May I ask why you choose to live among commoners?”

  “This is not a life in which to seek luxury and comfort,” Madam Po said. “But a life in which to seek knowledge and wisdom. Living among the people of Zangcheen provides me with lessons that are hard to come by in the royal city.”

  “Such as?”

  Although Madam Po remained still, her eyes blazed with the fierce courage of a mouse defying the attention of a cat. “Such as offering sympathy to the children of a widow boiled alive simply because she saw the opportunity to live her own life after the husband that treated her like a servant had the good grace to die while she still lived.” Madam Po’s voice softened, but her eyes still blazed. “Such a tragedy in my own neighborhood.”

  Of the hundreds of neighborhoods in all of Zangcheen, why did that widow have to live near Madam Po?

  Emperor Po’s delight turned to chagrin. As a family elder, tradition allowed the old woman to speak to him in this way. While she made no accusations, her disappointment in the emperor was palpable. When an elder as close to his bloodline as Madam Po spoke, even an emperor had the duty to listen.

  “This cannot be an easy province to rule,” Madam Po continued. “Especially for an emperor blessed with so many beautiful daughters.”

  A chill ran across the emperor’s skin and he shivered.

  The old woman studied him as if he were some type of rare specimen.

  Emperor Po remembered his disturbing nightmare.

  I dreamed of walking behind a funeral procession, and I saw someone leading it wearing my royal robes. I assumed that was me. As the procession went to the Temple of Passing, I couldn’t find Ti in the crowd, and I assumed her body was the one taken inside the temple and set on fire. But when the emperor turned around, the emperor was Ti.