by Jeremy Han
Foreword
With so much recently published historical fiction confined to very narrowly defined eras it is a pleasure to read Jeremy Han's account of an ancient world of feuding Chinese dynasties. From the opening the pace is swift and the action is brutal, visceral and realistic. Building on this impressive technique Jeremy Han provides full-blooded characters who, despite high social status, or extensive experience of combat and politics, are recognisable and credible. It's a great read and I'm looking forward to seeing more from a writer of great promise.
Simon Scarrow, International bestselling author of the Eagle and Revolution Series
December 2012
There have been few historical novels written in English about either ancient or the Chinese Middle Ages. There have been even fewer written for Westerners about martial arts, especially, Kung Fu, from this period. With that said, author Jeremy Han’s first effort brings the 15th Century vividly to life and is a must read for anyone wanting to learn more about this period.
Jess Steven Hughes, Author of The Sign of the Eagle
October 2012
Those of you who like Kung Fu movies must read this excellent historical novel about Imperial power struggles during the early Ming Dynasty. A usurping uncle puts out a contract against his imperial nephew. Top martial experts contend with each either to kill or protect the Royal. Great Kung Fu fights. This is a great action packed adventure with well crafted characters and an amazing plot. I couldn't put it down. Look out for it.
Peter Goh, Author of Eagle in the Land of Dragons
October 2012
Historical Note:
In1402, the Prince of Yan, Zhu Di, usurped the throne from his nephew, the Emperor Jian Wen. According to Ming official history, Emperor Jian Wen, his family and courtiers were all burned to death in the great fire that destroyed the royal palace in Nanjing. It was recorded that Zhu Di attempted to save the nephew he just overthrew from the inferno but it was too late. Records pertaining to this sad episode of rebellion were subsequently destroyed and all witnesses executed. To this day, no one knows what really happened to the Emperor Jian Wen.
The Emperor’s Prey
A Novel
By Jeremy Han
Copyright ©2012, Jeremy Han
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means – whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic – without written permission of both publisher and author, except in the case of brief excerpts, used in critical reviews. Unauthorised reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.
ISBN 978-1-300026-778
Cover Design © Jeremy Han 2012
The right of Jeremy Han to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, designs and Patents Act 1988.
All characters and events in this publication, even those based on historical characters, are fictitious, and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Acknowledgements
To my God who enables and my Family who loves
First-time novels are like balloons. Every encouragement is like a puff of air that gives the balloon its final shape. Slowly, our effort takes shape, and the book becomes what it should be. A big thank you to my family for all your encouragement. To my wife Abigail who always believes in me, my mother who thinks her son is someone who can do it, and my sisters who read my blog. To all my friends and fellow writers, your positive comments gave me courage. I need to give special mention to international bestselling author Simon Scarrow, who very kindly agreed to write the foreword. As a fan of Simon’s Eagle series, receiving his support for this book is something that I have been dreaming off. It is a dream-come-through for a first time writer to receive an endorsement of his work from one of the giants of historical fiction. Thanks also to authors Jess Steven Hughes and Peter Goh, who have also given kind words in support of the book. And to Adam Khoo, Asia’s foremost success coach, who encouraged me to self-publish – why wait for others right? Take Action! Even the people I have never met before except in Facebook who have encouraged me: a big thank you. All your kind words helped. Every one of you brought my debut effort one step closer to production.
This is for you.
List of Characters
Historical/Semi-historical Characters
1. Emperor Jian Wen, birth name Zhu Yunwen, 2nd emperor of the Ming dynasty. Officially, he does not exist due to Yong Le’s purge. He is the grandson of the founder of the Ming dynasty.
2. Emperor Yong Le, birth name Zhu Di, officially recorded as the 2nd emperor of the Ming dynasty after Jian Wen’s official records as emperor were destroyed. He is actually the 3rd emperor of the Ming.
3. Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming, grandfather to Zhu Yunwen and father to Zhu Di. Crowned as the Hung Wu Emperor. He was a beggar, a monk, a bandit, a rebel leader and finally an emperor.
4. Zheng He aka Ma Sanbao, Muslim eunuch and prisoner of war who was promoted to the rank of Grand Admiral. Most famously known for his voyages across the ‘western seas’ and for bringing Chinese influence worldwide during the Ming dynasty and for commanding the greatest armada known to man. He sailed the world’s oceans before Columbus. Some argue that his fleet sailed as far as the Americas.
5. Ji Gang, commander of the Eastern Depot under the reign of Yong Le. A member of the elite Brocade Guards who was tasked to head the dreaded imperial secret service, its duty was to eliminate all enemies of the throne.
6. Fang Xiaoru, Grand Scholar and tutor to the Yong Le emperor. He was executed by his student for refusing to acknowledge his emperorship as it was taken by force. Fang, to this day, remains a symbol of righteousness.
7. Li Po, a Ming princess who supposedly married a ruler in Southeast Asia during one of Zheng He’s voyages. See notes about her controversial identity at the end of the story.
8. Zhao Qi, loyal and noble commander of Jian Wen’s bodyguard. He was responsible for the emperor’s escape. An exponent of the Tiger Fist and skilled with the sabre. Zhao’s character is semi-fictional. See historical notes.
Fictional Characters
1. Wen Xuan, imperial chamberlain and chief eunuch, tutor to Jian Wen and Zheng He.
Jian Wen’s bodyguards
2. Fu Zhen, aka the Farmer, a member of Jian Wen’s bodyguard under Zhao’s command. He became a farmer to prevent capture by the emperor Yong Le. He practices a form of soft martial art commonly known as ‘The Inner Fist’.
3. Li Jing aka the Acrobat, a member of Jian Wen’s bodyguard under Zhao’s command. He became a street performer to prevent detection and capture by the Emperor Yong Le. He is the father of Li Po. He is trained in the Monkey Fist and various esoteric arts linked to street performers.
4. Long Wu, a member of Jian Wen’s bodyguard under Zhao’s command who became a convoy escort to get away from Ming lands. He uses the sabre with a unique technique that requires two hands.
5. Yula, a survivor of the civil war among the Mongol tribes after the fall of the Khans. She is Long Wu’s lover who escaped with him. Her skill with the bow is incomparable.
6. Khun Sa, the chief bodyguard and childhood friend of Admiral Zheng He. He is a fellow Muslim from Yunnan whose parents were killed on the same day as the admiral’s.
Dong Chang - The Eastern Depot
1. An Deli, Ji Gang’s second-in-command. Experienced and calm. He uses a whip sword that can be drawn quicker than the eye could see due to its flexibility.
2. Ma Hun, An’s partner. Young, hot headed and arrogant. He is a deadly fighter with a double tipped spear.
3. Li Wei, a veteran who followed Ji Gang for many years. Like An, he is trusted by t
he commander. He uses a ‘soft’ weapon – the sickle and the dagger chain. It is known as a soft weapon because its form is fluid and deadly.
4. Lu Ximing, He is Li’s partner and also veteran of the Eastern Depot. He wields a prized sword bestowed upon him by royalty for his courage and service.
5. Yong Ju, Ji Gang’s prodigy. He is intelligent and teachable. His weapon of choice is a pair of cutlasses wielded with both hands.
Glossary
Han – Ethnic Chinese during that period referred to themselves as Han people. It is not to be confused with being subjects of the Han dynasty. It is a classification still in use today.
Dao – The broad-bladed, curved sabre, considered a heavy weapon.
Jian – The slim, straight sword. It was a weapon of elegance.
Guan Dao – A pole with a sabre-like blade attached. Originally designed as a weapon for horseback fighting, it could be shortened to be used on foot. Its heavy blade made it essentially a slashing weapon. The character on the cover wields it.
The iron fan – a Chinese, collapsible hand fan made of steel that can be opened or closed with a flick of the wrist. It was frequently used as a concealable weapon.
Prologue
Eighteen Years Ago
Zhao Qi, the commander of the emperor’s bodyguard, sat heavily on the rock by the stream. He sighed with exhaustion, and his whole body ached. Zhao’s hand was sore from gripping the sabre all night, his fingers numb to the cold touch of the stream. He drank some water and splashed his face. The pale light of the dawn filtered through the bamboo growth that shielded the group of fugitives from sight. Birdsong was everywhere. They had ridden the whole night to get as far away from the burning palace as possible as Zhu Di, the emperor’s uncle, marched into the capital and usurped his throne, executed his family and burnt the imperial residence – the culmination of a long and bloody civil war where family turned upon family. For the Dragon Throne, no mercy was shown to kith and kin. Only Zhao and his valiant men’s efforts had saved the emperor. He splashed water onto his face to wash the blood away. He could wash away the blood on his hands and face, but the memory of the bloody night would stay forever. He saw in his mind’s eye again the empress and princes held back by eunuchs as they struggled to join the emperor as his bodyguards dragged him away. That widening gulf between them meant life for the emperor and death for his family. He could still hear the little prince wailing, reaching out to his father, the Jian Wen emperor,
“FATHER, DON’T LEAVE ME!”
Father, don’t leave me!
It echoed in his mind. The phantom sound was distant, but clear. It sounded like a memory from a far away place. It would resound in his mind forever, like temple bells that chimed for eternity at a set time each day. Zhao shut his eyes. The chaos was vivid: the thick, acrid smoke of the burning palace, the reddish glow in the sky, the screams of loved ones being torn away from each other, the tension of evading one’s deadliest foes, the possibility that one could die any moment. The emperor, spurred by paternal instinct, had turned at the sound of his son’s cry, but Zhao pushed him on. He could not afford to let the emperor change his mind about the escape. He knew the monarch had a soft heart, so the bodyguard had to harden his and tear father and son apart. That shove severed a blood line. He knew that very second, his life had changed; he would never forgive himself again. A single minute’s delay meant death for the Son of Heaven. As chief bodyguard, Zhao had to protect the emperor at all cost.
At all cost.
He stole one last glance at the crown prince and saw a child with anguish etched onto his cherubic features. The boy had his hand stretched out, reaching…his mouth formed into an ‘O’ as he screamed,
Father, don’t leave me!
Remorse filled his heart like molten lead, as he recalled his role in separating, and thus condemning the little prince and his mother to death. There was nothing more painful than seeing a happy, complete family torn to pieces. The children, they were so innocent. How could they know that their royal blood could turn from a blessing into a curse overnight? If the previous night’s actions had brought such agony to Zhao, he could not imagine what the emperor was going through now. A cry pierced the silence of the morning. The emperor started to weep again. The enormity of his calamity gripped him once more as the tension of the escape wore off.
“My empress! My children! My empire! They are all gone! What have I done to deserve this?”
The twenty-something emperor beat his chest in grief for all that he had lost. His body quaked until his face sank and touched the mud of the bank. His uncle had stolen everything from him. He cried,
“My wife! My children!” He wailed uncontrollably, burying his head into his hands.
Zhao Qi heard it first; their pursuers were here. He signalled to Long Wu, who was closest to the Jian Wen and asked him to calm the emperor. Zhao next pointed to a pair of his men, who picked up their spears and disappeared behind the bamboo growth to ensure the way ahead was safe. Those two were good friends. Fu Zhen was a farmer before he became a soldier, and Li Jing came from a family of street acrobats. They moved silently behind the two point men. Bringing up the rear was a huge northerner whose name was simply ‘Tu’. He was the strongest among them. These were the last of the emperor’s elite bodyguards. The thundering hoofs and shouting got louder. The usurper’s men dismounted and dashed into the clearing where they were. It was getting too close!
From their hiding place, Zhao peered carefully through a clump of bamboo, a streak of perspiration running down the side of his nose, slightly tickling him. He forced himself to breathe. Ten men were searching the area where they had hidden. Zhao Qi looked at the emperor who appeared tense and was almost hyperventilating. His eyes met Long Wu’s. Long Wu was a handsome man but he looked terrible that day. Still he knew he could depend on his men if the enemy came…and they were coming. One of them had picked up their tracks and started to point at their direction.
Zhao’s mind raced to calculate the odds. Should he ambush his attackers or should he lead his party away? The emperor’s safety was paramount. There was risk in fighting. What if they lost? Anytime the emperor could break into his bouts of hyperventilation, and that would alert the enemy to their position. But if they evaded the enemy, it won’t be long before they picked up their tracks again. What should he do? His men looked toward him for instructions, as their fate rested on his shoulders. His pursuers were elite warriors sent from the usurper to silence his rival. Although his men were equally good, they were tired and outnumbered. With the emperor’s life in his hands, he decided that discretion was the better part of valour, and he led his men quietly away. Backing off, his eyes never once left the enemy. They reached their horses and rode away quietly.
Zhao and his team rode all day through forest trails to prevent detection, because he knew that the roads would be flooded by search teams. Finally at dusk, they reached a deserted stretch of river. The dying sun reflected dreamily off the calm water. There was a little hut with a wooden jetty, and a boat was tied to it. Although he was almost at the end of the mission, he did not let his guard down. He listened hard. Frogs croaked and crickets sang. There were no ambushers around.
Still…
“Tu, scout that out. The rest of us, form a protection circle around his Majesty.”
As Tu approached the hut with sabre in hand, a solitary monk appeared in front of him. In the dark, he could hardly make out the cleric’s features but the man exuded an air of serenity. Tu’s fighter’s instincts did not detect any evil intentions from the man. Then the monk bowed low at the Jian Wen emperor. He looked at Zhao Qi and spoke calmly with a deep, mellow voice,
“At last you come, Commander. His Majesty will be in safe hands.”
Jian Wen looked on with great fear. His eyeballs rolled upward, exposing the whites and he started to hyperventilate again. He did not know the monk. He clasped Zhao’s hand, and the bodyguard was surprised by the strong grip; he could sense the d
esperation in the emperor. He was not just holding on to Zhao, he was hanging on to the last vestige of the only life he had ever known. Zhao coaxed him gently,
“Majesty, it is for your own safety.” He spoke as though the man was a child. After a while, the emperor, looking dazed, released Zhao. Slowly, the monk led the broken emperor, supporting him as he stumbled, to the boat and started to row. The Jian Wen emperor turned once to glance at his faithful men; they were all kneeling toward the departing emperor. Great sadness was etched on his face. Even the widening distance could not hide the sorrowful howl of the man who had lost everything.
They waited until darkness had swallowed the boat and its occupants. When the emperor had gone, Zhao Qi felt a great burden lift off his shoulder, but the sight of his men placed another rock on him. They were fugitives now. They had served the emperor faithfully to the end but their loyalty now condemned them as enemies of the state. From this day, they would be hunted by the elite of the empire. Zhao Qi clasped each man’s shoulder and wished him all the best. Tonight, they would scatter to the four winds, each to their own fate, never to meet again.
