Clash of Alliances

by Pierre Dimaculangan

  ​“That’s probably the heaviest book I have ever seen in a long while, perhaps the largest anyone’s ever seen. Didn’t think you’d be quite the reader. I assume that is the text you had mentioned earlier? The one your mentor handed down to you?” he said as he stared at the tome.

  ​“Indeed this is the one. It is my most prized possession. It’s very old and keeping it in good condition can be such a chore, but it is a chore worth repeating,” Famin Jie replied. “It’s a collection many other select books first written in ancient times from even the early days of the Zhou Dynasty until the beginning of the imperial era during the Qin Dynasty. It combines other books of letters, lost histories, poetries, discourses, and proverbs of sages and teachers from the distant past… these of course do not even include the Four Books, the Five Classics, and the Book of the Way and Virtue—all of which I also hold in high regard.”

  ​“Ah, yes, the Four Books and the Classics. I can remember how much my mother pushed me to study and memorize them. Every day, she pushed me to study while my friends frolicked in the streets and ran free. I resented her as a child, but my resentment turned into great gratitude when I placed top score in the Civil Service Exams. By the time I had finished, she no longer lived so that I may be able express my thanks. I rejected a prestigious government office to explore the known world and gain even more knowledge… and honor my mother through continued learning. I’ve been obsessed with the pursuit ever since.” Tian Qiu turned away his gaze and lowered his eyes in deep reminiscence to hide the watering of his eyes. “Listen, sage, I would like to apologize for my outburst earlier today. Even though I do not agree with your perspectives and even somewhat resent your religious dispositions, it was unprofessional to have reacted the way I did. I simply wish the best for the nation.”

  ​“I do not hold it against you, Scholar Qiu. A great responsibility has been laid upon you and your colleagues. Such burdens often get the best of us. I’m also sorry to hear about your mother,” Famin Jie replied.

  ​Tian Qiu gazed at the text Famin Jie held in his hands. “I am officially intrigued… and not too many things catch my interest these days. Our main bureau at the Guangzhou Academy has a vast collection of books and scrolls both ancient and contemporary. I am personally fond of the sciences, mathematics, law, and the histories—much of which was unique to the dynasty in which it was written… written to only be lost through war and time. War and time—both can be so merciless. However, if what you say is true, what you have in your hands is a far more precious than any of them simply by its antiquity alone,” said Tian Qiu. His scholarly spirit grew excited at the thought of having found such priceless knowledge finally recovered after so long.

  ​“At the dawn of the Imperial Era, the first self-proclaimed emperor Qin Shi Huang took power over the Middle Kingdom and reunited our great civilization, ending centuries of bloody civil war. However, he challenged the Mandate of Heaven. He proceeded to consolidate his reign by burning four hundred scholars and countless ancient and sacred texts from the many schools of thought. They included the teachings of the great sages. This first emperor was almost successful were it not for the admirable efforts of surviving students and teachers who salvaged many original manuscripts. They have been carefully selected and painstakingly preserved and copied over the centuries,” said Famin Jie to the Martial Scholar. “The orchestrations of Heaven are most magnificent.” His eyes sparkled at the opportunity to share such a well-kept secret.

  ​“Even I did not know such efforts were taken to preserve the sacred and rare texts. I am even more intrigued as to how this passed from the knowledge of my order.”

  ​“Such knowledge was meant to be kept secret among a chosen few, and then passed down to even fewer from generation to generation. Most people were not meant to know… at least until it was time for it to recirculate. This is what I am now trying to do – reawaken society by enlightening them with the lost wisdom of the ancients passed down directly from Heaven.” Famin Jie held the book with both hands and presented it to Tian Qiu who carefully reached for the heavy, old book and opened it. The words were beautifully written in clerical script, the archaic writing style of the pre-imperial era of the Middle Kingdom, but Tian Qiu, being well-versed in the script, understood each word perfectly. The calligraphy seemed to jump out of the brittle pages and they engaged his mind the more he read through each column. His eyes narrowed as they focused deeper into the words that were not only written, but seemingly spoken unto him. He sucked in his teeth and bit his lip before shutting it closed completely. Tian Qiu held it in both hands and gently gestured for Famin Jie to take it back.

  ​“I appreciate your allowing me to peer into such a precious text. But for now, I think it’s better if you hold on to it,” he said to Famin Jie without even looking into his eyes.

  ​“Profound and powerful, yet gentle as a whisper, is it not?” Famin Jie asked. “It will be here should you ever decide to continue,” he whispered with a smiling face that said “I know you saw something special.” Tian Qiu stood up and saluted Famin Jie and without uttering another word, made a hasty exit.

  ​“I fear for you, neighbor. You are gifted with great intellect and knowledge beyond most men, but where there should have been wisdom and a cultivation of the spirit, I can sense only a void,” Famin Jie thought aloud. “For as you accumulate great knowledge, so does your sorrow increase.”

  ​ Famin Jie pored over the tome sometimes for hours on end seeking ancient wisdom, truths, and awareness of the Way as Heaven had specially revealed in antiquity. He searched for answers and directions from the old texts which he had always used as the standard example of living. The fears and anxieties that were plaguing the Emperor were also beginning to come upon him so he sought peace within the passages of the tome. Being a mere man, the uncertainties and fears of the future had their means of overwhelming him, but he found profound reassurance as he meditated upon the words with a recitation.

  ​He whispered a prayer during his meditations in such times. “These fears are from the Spirit of Darkness. Remove them from me, O Shang Di, and send them back to the dark depths from whence they came,” he cried. “How sovereign You are, O Shang Di who is called Heaven. Even as the darkest of darkness descends upon the world, poised to destroy us, You discern all that is happening and nothing passes without Your knowing. For there is no plan that can succeed against You.”

  ​Such spiritual pursuits were misunderstood and held in low regard by those present in the Emperor’s court. They continuously occupy themselves with affairs of the world. It was painful to Famin Jie’s heart that they did not see the great significance of his ministry to the emperor and to the nation. All would come together in due time, he thought. For now, his earnest prayer was for the Menggu Khan’s positive reception of the emperor’s humble letter. Everything they could have done for such a cause had already been undertaken. The rest, he believed, would be up to Heaven.

  3 Opposition to the New Order

  “I would have never thought that such… beings could exist in this world,” the emperor thought aloud. His eyes narrowed in thought. He rested his chin upon his knuckles and leaned his elbow onto his knee as he sat on his golden throne. “Does anyone have the slightest idea just who or what they are? Where in the world do they come from and how is it that we have only become of aware of their existence until now? I am completely astonished,” he said to the officials and Scholars standing before him in the court, studying them one by one. The lull moment in the Ming Empire’s current situation has allowed the Emperor more time to think and ponder about such things during his sleepless nights. “Why us? Why desire such troublesome conquests?? These questions are driving me mad!”

  ​None of the eunuchs or bureaucrats was able to answer the questions. The League of Martial Scholars looked at each other and nodded.

  ​“Imperial Majesty, before we embarked from Guangzhou I had made several discoveries about the enemy which have compelled u
s to make the journey to the capital in the first place. Long before I joined the League of Martial Scholars, I was a traveler for many years. In search of knowledge and history, I had followed the ancient trade routes which led me to many places beyond the deserts to the west where grand cities and great kingdoms thrive in the sandy domains. In all my travels however, I had seen only people, many kinds of people—men and women just like us but who were of many colors in skin, hair, and eyes. Many of them have traveled far and wide like I and had homes from distant corners of the continents, in strange nations some have not yet inked onto a map. This is why the Terukk have been a most curious topic of my thoughts when they had first arrived for I have never seen nor heard of anyone like the Terukk in all my years of travel.”

  ​“That still does not answer my question. Get to the point. I want to know what they really are. You said you have discovered some things about them that compelled you to come to the aid of my court?” the emperor asked eagerly. He edged closer to the edge of his seat and leaned forward, his eyes narrowing at his gaze at Tian Qiu.

  ​“Go on. Tell him what you have discovered in the library,” encouraged Lu Guanying.

  ​Tian Qiu shifted uncomfortably in his own boots. “I discovered a chest full of papers, books, and documentations thought to have been destroyed decades ago by the eunuchs of your ancestor Emperor Yongle’s court. It was clear that when the Ming voyaged around the known world proclaiming the might of the empire, Admiral Zheng He had interacted with the Pale Foreigners… and in fact had managed to make a journey into what seemed to be the very edge of their homeland.”

  ​Gasps and murmurs filled the court and the Emperor became wide-eyed at the news. “A fatal wound had eventually taken Zheng He’s life on their route back home. The story of the Dragon Throne’s treasure fleet has resulted in the largest cover-up in the history of the Middle Kingdom.”

  ​Those in the hall who were learning of this for the first time were dumbstruck at the revelation. It was nearly impossible to believe that no one had the faintest knowledge of such momentous events ever having taken place in the history of the Ming Dynasty. Emperor Zhu Youcheng stood and began to pace and was in utter shock of what he had just heard.

  ​“The surprises never cease. This changes many things but it also explains much. So, what land do they come from?” the Emperor asked.

  ​“According to what I have read, Majesty, throughout his voyages the eunuch admiral had been investigating evidence of sightings of the Terukk and their meddling in the trade routes. No one in the nations he visited could give him a definitive answer. His investigation led him to sail south for some weeks to a place where the air is eternally frigid and the land is forever encompassed by mountains and seas of ice.” Tian Qiu paused in thought for a moment or two. “The accounts reveal that their land is far more foreign than any other place the known world. Even the landscapes and beasts that roam their domain are unlike any other we have seen, at least according to Ma Huan’s accounts. The fact that most the ships in the fleet made it back home was a miracle in itself,” Tian added, still with a hint of wonder in his eyes as he imagined what the Terukk homeland may be like in person. “The location and nature of their homeland is probably why we have never seen the Terukk until recently.”

  ​“I demand to see these records at once! You should have informed me of such a finding when you first stepped foot in my court.” The emperor stood from his throne and paced to and fro in deep thought as he tried to digest what he had learned.

  ​ “So… they sought to conquer us through deceitful political schemes. When that failed they resorted to violence. Now, it is almost certain that they will be deploying their armies to conquer us through force,” the Emperor muttered. “The defeat of their mindless pawns at Liaodong was all part of their plan.”

  ​Lu Guanying faced the Emperor and bowed. “We can be certain that whatever the Terukk tried to accomplish here in the Middle Kingdom, they have surely tried elsewhere. The Ministry of Rites has received very little news from the outside world and even the tributaries of our great Ming Empire have not met their scheduled visitations and tributes— understandable given the current situation. However, it is apparent that this is all primarily of the Terukk’s doing. The League will continue to work tirelessly with all the ministries in the Department of State Affairs to keep updated with all the developments occurring around us.”

  ​In the weeks following the battles of the Gulf of Beizhili and Liaodong Peninsula, the imperial Ming government continued great efforts in increasing security throughout the empire. Generals and their officers trained hundreds of thousands of troops for an impending full-scale war against a powerful and advanced enemy of which they knew very little. Imperial commander He Feishen and his brother General He Jin along with many lieutenant generals and captains managed the installations of new forts and garrisons surrounding Beijing. The mass-manufacturing of warships, weapons, and armor drove full speed in the capital and in far-away Nanjing and in the shipyards and dry docks of cities along the Grand Canal. Many farms allocated much of their harvests to supply the troops. In the capital, the Martial Scholars, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Works personally oversaw the development and production of the new fire-driven weapons and explosive armaments designed by Big Bang. Every technological edge the Ming could muster was seized. The most active shipyards were under heavy protection and brought production to maximum efficiency at Tianjin and at Nanjing, the former capital. The entire Middle Kingdom was running on industrial overdrive in preparation for the imminent Terukk invasion.

  ​Word from the court spread quickly to Emperor Zhu Youcheng of important activities occurring throughout the provinces. The government’s ministries issued their reports on recent developments.

  ​“Attacks on other cities along the southern length of the Grand Canal have ceased and the attackers have retreated back into the wilderness. A fleet of armed river ships full of troops have been commissioned to patrol much of the canal and several forts have been hastily though strategically erected near the most populated towns.”

  ​Further news reached the emperor’s court by way of sophisticated communications networks from the remnants of the Eastern and Western Depots reveal that even developments happening overseas were becoming known.

  ​“The small of isle of Dayuen off the Middle Kingdom’s south east coast had already come under the complete control of pirate lord Mizushima and his pirate armada. Many of the indigenous peoples and Han settlers from Ming have been killed, enslaved, or destroyed at sea,” reported the minister and agents.

  ​“Good Heaven. Dayuen now belongs to the enemy. They will engulf us from all sides.” The emperor clenched his fists and shook his head. “What about our navy? How is it?”

  ​“By now, Admiral Han Bin and several squadrons of warships guard and patrol the coastlines along Fujian province and the coasts further south. They will be ready for the pirates should they attempt an attack on our southern maritime gateway. The army has garrisoned several strategic locations in the south as well. If the pirate puppets of the Terukk ever attempt an amphibious assault, they will be met with deadly force,” Shang Jian assured the emperor. His confidence in the Ming military had increased of late; it was evident in his tone. “The imperial commander and several of your highest-ranking generals have already prepared the army to the very best.”

  ​Emperor Zhu Youcheng sat in his study completely alone to deal with his depression and anxiety. A thousand questions of “what ifs” plagued his mind, and he spent his days restless and largely sleepless. Such was his stress that he was obliged to entrust his remaining civil duties to the Scholars and the resentful mandarins of his court. Even though squads of highly-trained Martial Academicians guarded the palace alongside his own royal Capital Guard, he felt exposed and vulnerable within his own room. The trouble his nation faced was larger than his palace. The very empire had become surrounded by ravenous wolves. Even the seas had become hos
tile. Even as he sat in the comfort and safety of his abode, a powerful storm was rapidly approaching his shores. His own wife and baby son were on his mind constantly. He must protect them at all costs.

  ​“How could Heaven allow such evil to exist?” he asked Famin Jie. “Why are the Terukk allowed to continue on their evil path?”

  ​“All creatures are given a choice to do that which is beneficial or harmful. Sometimes their will causes great harm to others. In your case, Majesty, what value has faith if it will not be tested in heat? Does steel harden in the wind, or is it forged through fire and hammer? Likewise, we are strengthened through these trials. Faith and trust grows and develops through the most turbulent and desperate of times. Through pain and anguish, we can see truth and righteousness prevail over the darkness, and then we can see the sovereignty of Shang Di. There are no ‘accidents’ for those who are under Heaven,” Famin Jie answered. “Sometimes evil is allowed to continue so that those who follow righteousness will be drawn to take action and grow in spirit.”

  ​“I wish that Heaven would just intervene and disperse the celestials to crush our enemies,” the emperor said, still visibly distraught.

  ​“Heaven has intervened, my emperor. Heaven has mandated you to lead empire, granted your eyes a supernatural vision beyond description, and has gifted your government with some of the brightest minds in all the earth. Is that not an incredible intervention?” Famin Jie answered him.

  ​“You are right, you are right. I was wrong to despair. The vision—how could I ever forget it? Even now, my eyes almost become blinded when I recall it.”

  ​“War is a very costly endeavor. The losses would be irrecoverable. Life once gone can never be returned. How many lives will be sacrificed before the price can be paid in full?”