The Sage, the Swordsman and the Scholars

by Pierre Dimaculangan

  “I never would have expected to see you here of all places, teacher. It is truly a pleasant surprise, though I have many questions as well,” said Xin delighted to see the man who saved his life many weeks ago.

  “Neither would I have expected it!” exclaimed Famin Jie. “Oh, how amazingly Heaven orchestrates the events of our lives!”

  “Indeed… if that is how you see it, I suppose,” Xin replied respectfully. “As I have mentioned before, I am in close comradery with the Scholars that now… appear to administrate this court and assist the emperor. I’ve arrived to fulfill my duties to them… and warn them of the imminent threat that has been encroaching on these lands upon the arrival of the Foreigners.”

  “Yes, I too know of the darkness you speak of for I have borne witness to it during my journeys from the south. It is vital I can gain an audience with the emperor concerning the matters that occupy the nation. The message I bring can determine the fate of the empire,” said Famin Jie.

  “I believe you, friend. I shall vouch for you,” said Xin. The Forbidden City was a tremendous sight to behold and it captivated the awe of both men who had only heard of the palace’s splendor. The structures of vermillion and the rooftops of gold on the monumental halls testified to the power and wealth of the Ming Dynasty.

  Shortly after their entrance, Sun Xin was united with Lu Guanying and the rest of the core members of the Martial and Hanlin scholars. He had told them of where he had been, what he had done, and what he had witnessed during his travels and told them of the Underworld amassing secretly in the forest to conspire against the Ming Empire. The news was of the great disturbance to the Scholars had not foreseen such an uprising occurring within their doorstep.

  Word was immediately sent to the Hongzhi Emperor who received the news with a great pain. “I have brought with me the hermit teacher from the South who had saved my life not long ago. He has proven himself a true friend and a wise ally,” said Sun Xin to the emperor and the Scholars. “He claims to have a message of the greatest importance that must be delivered immediately to the emperor. I am compelled to believe that what he should say would be most valuable.”

  Famin Jie had been standing in the square outside the Hall for Venerating Heaven where the emperor sat on his golden Dragon Throne. When he had been summoned he kowtowed before the Hongzhi Emperor with great respect and humility. He rose, and while maintaining his bow, prepared to deliver the message of

  Heaven to the emperor and to all who would listen within the court.

  12 THE FIRST STRIKE

  “ATHOUSAND BLESSINGS AND MANY THOUSAND more be poured upon thee, thou who art the reigning Son of Heaven,” began Famin Jie along with other honorifics addressed to the young ruler of the Middle Kingdom.

  “The loyal subjects of this court have told me you deliver a message of divine importance, one that would determine the fate of my empire and its entire people. Take great care with the words that would roll from your mouth for the time that slips away moment by moment is precious and I have not the pleasure of engaging in meaningless conversation,” said the emperor with utmost seriousness. Famin Jie bowed once more and began to speak the message.

  “Your Imperial Majesty, what I am to tell you is not of my own thought but was entrusted to me by that which is infinitely higher. A time of great trials has come to the Middle Kingdom; it was perceived by those who came long before me. What has unfolded upon your shores and upon your land is but the beginning of our great sorrows. Should this chain of events be left to continue, it would be the end of the Middle Kingdom and the end of all nations of this world. The time for the return of the Way to govern the hearts of men has come, for as the sages of old once lamented its great loss, from this day forth we shall rejoice in the beginning of the path to its restoration. Our newfound enemies are but a worldly manifestation of a great evil that roars in a realm unseen by the eyes of man. In that unseen realm burns a great battle in spirit. Hear this, O great emperor; Heaven had once favored our mighty nation in the days of old, but woe unto us who have forgotten the infinite expanse of the sovereignty of Shang Di! The people most go back to the ways of old, when Heaven’s wisdom guided the Sage Kings and when the great Way nourished the people. For in this alone does our hope lie and it must begin with you, Emperor of the mighty Ming Dynasty. The Middle Kingdom must become right with Heaven.”

  The Emperor rose from his seat and carefully examined Famin Jie who had kept his head bowed throughout the message’s delivery. Emperor Zhu Youcheng looked puzzled and somewhat irritated as he massaged his forehead. He descended from his throne and approached the old hermit. “What are you even saying? By what authority can you make such outlandish claims? You claim that Heaven has sent you this to warn me of what is and what is to come. Prove it to me or you will be punished for wasting my time,” he scolded.

  So it was for Famin Jie who was burdened with the revelation of truth to the Hongzhi Emperor. Having no power of his own, he did the only thing he could do. He closed his eyes and under his breath whispered a prayer of petition. He whispered it inaudibly.

  “Great and mighty Heaven, open the eyes of the man whom You have ordained to serve,” Famin Jie prayed. The dark clouds rolled in the following moments, as if brought forth by a mighty rushing wind. Thunder and rain set over the capital and a powerful supernatural vision came to the emperor, and it brought him to his knees as he began to weep. What he saw was of a great mystery to everyone who stood in his court as they watched in shock of the Emperor’s dramatic response. The vision shook the emperor to the very core of his being. His face shifted drastically from one expression to another, changing swiftly from astonishment and awe, to fear and trembling. The final expressions to come across his face however, were peace, assurance, and great relief. What he had seen was beyond what could be written with words, but Famin Jie knew that what the emperor beheld was a majestic revelation of truth granted to his eyes— a divine response to the sincerity of his heart to seek the truth.

  It was a supernatural occurrence that Scholars present in the court could not understand. They were rather alarmed at the emperor’s unexpected reaction to the hermit’s words. Shang Jian looked concernedly at Lu Guanying and was eager to arrest Famin Jie for the disturbance. The Capital Guards turned their heads in unison to the commotion and even lowered the stance of their weapons. They were hesitant to take action without a command from the emperor.

  The emperor could not even begin to open his eyes for they have been saturated with the supernatural revelation as it passed over them. Full expression with mere words is vain but although his experience took place within court, he was taken as it were, to the beginning and the end of things, the outcomes of righteousness and evil, and to the infinite expanse of the cosmos and dominions in the planes that could not be seen by human eyes alone.

  “I am Zhu Youcheng!” he cried as he tore the golden robes upon his chest, “the emperor who has undeservedly called his reign Hongzhi, the Good Government! I am overwhelmed with such unimaginable awe for I have seen that which man has not the capacity to behold with mortal eyes! I am but a flake of dust in the presence of a mighty mountain. Let me be an instrument for the obedience to the transcendent will of Heaven for there is no greater purpose for man to pursue.” He continued to weep, utterly humbled by the vision that was granted upon him, though he could not completely comprehend it. “The whole empire must know of this truth: Darkness has descended upon the world, and Heaven is our only hope for deliverance. The devils that lie in wait for us must be destroyed through our obedience to Heaven.”

  The Scholars were dumbstruck at the emperor’s proclamation and were most curious with had just taken place. They rushed to his side to help him off his feet while he was yet able to see. Shang Jian ordered the guards to arrest Famin Jie.

  “Guards, arrest the intruder for acts of sorcery against the emperor!” Shang Jian cried.

  “No, leave him, for he has committed no crime. His coming is not an accident. I
have seen the truth of our crisis and now the truth alone. From this point forward, this man shall have a place by my side in the court,” declared Emperor Zhu Youcheng.

  Though concerns among the Scholars grew, they were satisfied at the moment to know that their emperor was bent on destroying the Terukk once and for all. With Famin Jie however, they have become greatly suspicious.

  “I want that Famin guy under strict surveillance. From this point forward I demand a record of all his comings and goings. Assign a Senior Academician to keep eyes on him at all times. Tell him, it’s a personal guard,” ordered Lu Guanying. Lu Guanying and Wu Chan were greatly distrusting of Famin Jie for they did not understand what he had “done” to the emperor to invoke such a dramatic reaction. They had no choice but to honor the emperor’s wishes and were compelled to comply with the developments happening in the court.

  Of all the ceremonies an emperor performed, there was none more sacred, profound, elaborate and magnificent than the Border Sacrifice. It first began during the Xia Dynasty where the kings of old presented forth lavish offerings and a sacrificial beast as a display of penance, praise, and petition towards Shang Di whom they later called ‘Heaven’. The ceremony was essentially a physical outward representation of what occurred in the hearts of the people. On behalf of all the realm, kings and emperors performed this ceremony to redeem the nation before Heaven so that favor and blessing would remain upon them. Just as the Way had been lost, however, so too did the meaning of the Border Sacrifice. For almost one thousand five hundred years, long lines of emperors have conducted the ceremony with improper meaning, largely deviating from the way it had been done in ancient times. It was not until the rise of the great Ming Dynasty, that the Border Sacrifice was returned to its rightful form where the supremacy and exclusivity of Shang Di as the Most High over all beings physical and metaphysical had been reinstated. After the Hongzhi Emperor had been granted his vision he became greatly convicted in his heart and thus commanded the immediate conducting of the ancient ceremony of the Border Sacrifice. He summoned loyal government officials of every level and warriors of the highest ranks to the complex known as the Altar of Heaven in preparation of the grand ceremony. There were those amongst the Scholars such as Lu Guanying and Wu Chan who protested to its arduous undertaking for the enemy was assembling at their doorstep and the forces of the Ming have yet to fully assemble.

  “We do not have the luxury for a glamorous day-long procession while the enemy moves to strike us down, your Majesty,” said the Scholars to the emperor.

  “If there is one thing of greatest importance that we must do to prepare the defense and security of the empire, it would be this. For of all the great ceremonies performed in the Middle Kingdom, there is none more important than the Great Sacrifice,” the emperor answered. The Scholars looked upon Famin Jie with a hint of disdain for causing what they had considered was a distraction. Famin Jie nonetheless remained silent in humility.

  “The offerings of jewels and silks and the beasts prepared for sacrifice were merely symbols,” said Famin Jie to the emperor. “When you proceed with the ceremony, and present the jewels, silks, and beasts, present most especially your heart, for Heaven’s desire does not lie in materials but in the hearts of the servants.”

  And so it was that at the wake of war where enemies grew stronger and drew ever closer to the capital’s doorstep, that the emperor began his processions for the Border Sacrifice, and it would be the ceremony of ceremonies in all of the Middle Kingdom’s history. As in accordance to the Statutes of the Ming Dynasty, he fasted and practiced abstinence for three days, denying the needs of the body to symbolize cleanliness when he approached the altar on the day when the sacrifice was to be performed. When the day had arrived, there was not one person in the capital’s streets. All citizens of Beijing were to cease all activity and close themselves inside their homes on that most sacred day. The emperor began the ceremony with his proclamation before the vast spiritual hosts on earth and in the sky, alerting them to bear witness to the honoring of the great name of Shang Di who dwelt in sovereignty in the heavens.

  “Bear witness spirits of the lights, spirits of both the day and the night, spirits of the skies and earth, ye who have dominion over the mountains, the seas, and the rivers, bear witness, for this you must know that I shall lead my people in honoring the name of Almighty Shang Di,” he proclaimed. The long procession continued throughout the complex of the Altar of Heaven where many songs of praise were sung with the highest reverence and praise to Heaven and proclaiming the goodness and power of Shang Di. The songs were sung with the court musicians singing,

  “By the decree of Almighty Shang Di, heaven, earth, and man were called into existence… You, O Lord are the Ancestor of all things… Di has promised to hear us like a Father to His child… Your love is abundant. How great is Your name…”

  When the time came for the offering of the burnt sacrifice a perfect, spotless bull was slain and offered to Shang Di and the emperor made a new proclamation on behalf the officials and civil servants, the warriors, and all the people. In accordance with the Statutes of the Ming Dynasty, the emperor recites:

  “Unworthy and insignificant as we are, by Your grace and mercy O Di, You still care for us. Though the people have departed from Your ways and Your mandates, thy blessings have continued to shower over all the lands. How boundless is Your Love, Almighty Heaven, the source and standard for all goodness and righteousness. We come before you now Lord, with our spirits broken and our hearts contrite. We give all our essence to your Spirit so that we may stand against the enemy that converges around us. With my utmost sincerity, though petty as it may be, respectfully beseech you, Heaven, restore us as Your children, and let the Truth and Light renew this land for Your glory!”

  The ground shook, more than it had before, and the clouds beneath the heavens stirred in a mighty way, and with a loud crack and tear, the clouds parted over the altar. All present beheld a winged beast, a large raptor likened to a phoenix plunged through the parting clouds and soared over the altar, the shadow of its massive wings passing over the entire procession and onto the armies that stood in wait near the capital.

  It seemed, at least to the emperor and Famin Jie, that Heaven has heard the emperor’s woes and has answered his petitions on behalf of all the people. To them, the “phoenix” signified the dawn of a new age and the people’s hope of deliverance from a great enemy.

  It was in that moment that the emperor was bestowed with the heavenly favor once gifted to the Sage Kings of old. This phenomenal occurrence was of great shock and mystery to the Scholars, officials, and military personnel present in the ceremony. Those who were not terrified of the supernatural signs were left in great awe or curiosity.

  “What on earth was that?” Tian Qiu asked with skepticism.

  “A large bird flew overhead. Looked like a phoenix to the rest. Perhaps it was merely an oversized golden eagle that swooped in from the Menggu steppe,” Lu Guanying answered him.

  “Strange that a golden eagle rarely sighted in these parts would appear here of all times,” Zhen Shu stated.

  “Rare but not impossible,” said Tian Qiu.

  “Is no one going to mention how the clouds rolled in with the thunder and rain just as the ceremony began?” said Shang Jian.

  “We’ve not the time to discuss these trivialities. There is far more important work to be done,” said Lu Guanying as he proceeded to exit the premises.

  In their minds they somehow knew that the things they could not see were as true and existent as the world with which they interact. Now it may seem that the people of the Middle Kingdom would no longer be alone in their conflict with the Pale Foreigners. The Scholars of the League and of the Hanlin Academy, being men of reason, logic, and science, could not seem rationalize what had just taken place in the Altar of Heaven complex. They had attempted to dismiss the event as the work of natural causes occurring coincidentally concurrently with the ceremony. However
, they could not deny the profundity and the deep religious symbolism the ceremony held for the Middle Kingdom. They felt that perhaps there was more to the ceremony than met the eye, and maybe had accomplished a higher purpose they could not yet see that would eventually define the outcome of their woes.

  War was brewing on the gulf of Beizhili and on the peninsula. Now, renewed with hope and divine assurance, the emperor would make the first offensive move against the Terukk. After the troops from the neighboring garrisons had assembled at the foot of the capital, the Scholars coordinated with the emperor for a preemptive first strike against the enemy who has established an unlawful occupation of the shores in the Shandong and Liaodong Peninsulas. Scouts have further reported recent activity concerning enemy movements. The fallen Jinyiwei and foreign tribes allied with them, it may seem, were beginning to assemble their divisions from the east and the south in preparation for an immediate invasion and takeover of the capital city.

  “Though they are numerous in number and wear a new armor unlike anything we have seen, there is strangely no visible evidence of artillery or any form of cavalry. They are preparing to march on foot. All highly unlike the Nuzhen and Menggu method of conducting warfare,” the imperial scouts said. “There is one other element of concern we must mention. Plumes of ominous blue clouds encircle the encampments of the former Jinyiwei and emulates from unknown mechanisms or vessels from inside their camps. We are not certain what is causing them nor can we guess the purpose of this occurrence.” The scouts’ reports immediately caught the attention of Sun Xin.

  “I have seen the very same clouds of blue dust deep within the forest of Huguang where the dark armies have begun to assemble,” Xin said.