The Celestial Bureaucracy

Alright, it's time for me to continue the story.



Prince Xia Jin sighed deeply.
He had been given command of the 1st siege squadron of Louyang. Being an artillery officer, he only had a few men with him either as engineers or siege guards. Well, he was never a fighting man anyway. He honestly did not want to fight in this war. And he dreaded the prospect of facing a scion of the Miwa house on the field of battle, as he had been good friends with some of them before the war. As had his siblings as well, who shared the same sentiments. At 27 years old, he had hoped to be writing literature or serving as a patron for the musicians at the court but here he was in the black and red military uniform, fighting a war he didn’t want to fight all because of his imperial blood and his duty to his mother, the Scarlet Empress.

Scanning around the site where his men were supposed to set up Catapults to fire down on Kyoto, his eyes fell onto the adjacent wood that was a ways away down the hill. His gaze narrowed into the woodland where shadowy figures could be seen slipping in and out. Xia Jin could not be sure but he opened up his map and saw that the woodland was a slip-around path that directly overlooked the main battle camp.

“No…” he thought. “That means…”

Xia Jin stepped out to meet the engineers of the Catapult crew. “Men, I want you to load the siege mechanisms back onto the carts and join the 2nd siege squadron. This area’s been compromised and it’s imperative that you join with the second Catapult crew from Kyongju.”

The crew obeyed the order and began to pack the siege weapons up and head back to the main artillery line. “Your Highness,” said the sergeant, “I don’t mean to question what you’re doing but we were supposed to mount this hill and provide support fire for the siege on Kyoto, I don’t understand about what you were talking about when you said this area had been compromised,”

The Prince pointed to the woodland where he had just seen the suspicious figures move past and he opened up his map again to show the sergeant. “We’re here,” he said as he pointed to a spot on the map, “But this woodland directly adjacent extends into a valley where there is a direct route of exit to Mother’s camp, poising a direct threat to her,” He turned to the sergeant. “Now, the nearest unit is at least an hour away so there is no time to be wasted in preventing this,” The sergeant understood. “Call up the men, we’re going into the woods,”

Rushing into the brush, Xia Jin and his soldiers immediately began a search and scan of the area. “There’s nothing here, Prince,” one of his sergeants said. “We’ve scanned the perimeter multiple times now and there’s still no sign of the enemy,” “That’s not right though…” Xia Jin thought, “I could have sworn…” And with that, an arrow flew from the brush and found its mark in the face of one of his men.

It was an ambush. Soldiers who attempted to flee back out of the woods were promptly sniped by hidden archers in the brush. Left with no choice, the Prince and his remaining guards had to fight for their lives against their assailants who were coming from every direction. Drawing his jian from his sheath and his hatchet off his back, Xia Jin became locked in pitched combat against two of the Yamato soldiers at once. He managed to stab one of his attackers in the gut with his jian and parry aside the incoming spear strike from the other man with his hatchet.

Xia Jin spun around to meet a soldier who has rushing him from behind and raised his hatchet arm to retaliate. But he felt a strong impact strike his raised arm from behind and completely stop him in his tracks. The blunt force trauma had shattered his humerus, causing the Prince to howl in pain.

The Prince attempted to strike back at the soldier with his free arm but his jian was knocked aside by several spears. Before he knew it, criss-crossing all around him were spear shafts that hindered his mobility. He looked around and scanned the area. All of the soldiers that were with him were dead. And judging by the effort made to restrain him, they intended to take him alive. Attempting to wrench free from his spear prison, Xia Jin struggled but it only wore him down and left him exhausted.

“I’m so sorry, men,” he lamented to himself.

“Well, it looks like you fell into our trap,” a figure spoke in Japanese as he walked up to the Prince. “We knew about the backdoor path to your camp, but that wasn’t our real objective,” He smirked. “Now you can rue on what an idiotic decision you made while you march with us,” Then soldiers then tied him up with rope and blindfolded him and forced him to walk on spearpoint.



For days, they marched and trudged through the snow, all the while with the Prince bound in rope and blindfolded. He did not know how many days it had been and he had become a little malnourished from the journey and the Yamato soldiers only giving him the bare minimum to survive.

Xia Jin awoke one night to a nudge by one of the Yamato soldiers. Groggily opening his eyes, he saw the soldier standing directly over him and immediately thought, “Oh no… this isn’t what I think it is, is it?” The Prince had heard about this sort of thing happening on captured soldiers but he never thought he would have to deal with it. "You took my blindfold off just so I could see this?" he thought. The Yamato soldier then leaned in and then… cut his ropes away…

“What?”

To his surprise, the soldier replied in perfect Mandarin, “I’m a friend, and that’s all you need to know for now, but we have to go,” Xia Jin looked around and his eyes widened at the sight of the entire company of the Yamato soldiers limp around the fire, either with their throats slashed or with a spilled bowl of non-descript liquid by their unmoving bodies.

Taking off the helmet, the soldier was discovered to be a young woman with medium length hair. “I’ll give you a proper explanation later, but for now, come with me,” She helped the Prince up and they escaped the scene.

The Prince and his rescuer made their way across the snow-covered woodlands and decided to stop in a small clearing. After making a fire pit and lighting a small fire, the young woman set her pack down on the ground and began to tend to the Prince’s shattered arm with some bandages.

“My name is Ueda Kohaku, and I’m one of your mother’s infiltrators, Prince,”
“I suppose that makes sense then,” he replied.
“Normally, not even one of such rank as you would be privy to this sort of information but I assessed it was
necessary to do so when the Captain of this Company told us that we were headed for Osaka,”
“They were headed for Osaka?”
“Yes, they planned to hold you there in hopes of using you as a bargaining chip against your mother,”
“Wait, I’ve lost track of the time…how many days has it been…and how far away are we, from the main line of battle?”
“It’s been one week, Prince, and we are deep behind enemy lines,”
This revelation left Xia Jin deep in thought.

“Why did you save me?” he asked.
“My original assignment was to stay with the company and track the enemy movements from inside but it wouldn’t have been
ideal for the war movement if you had been successfully taken hostage,”
“Is that so?” the Prince murmured.
“It was off-assignment but the best course of action dictated that it had to be so,”
Kohaku had finished re-bandaging the arm and had got up to sleep by the other side of the fire.

“Get some sleep, Prince,” Kohaku advised.
“It will be a long journey ahead of us,”



They had travelled for two days off the main roads in order to avoid detection. But from what Kohaku could see, there were many Yamato troops that were heading in the direction of Osaka. And by their movements, she could tell that they were moving in retreat. Kyoto had been taken then. As they made their way through the woodlands and into the clear, they stopped for awhile. But Kohaku sensed that they couldn’t stay for long. Her sharp eyes caught sight of movement blended into the pure white backdrop of the snow-covered countryside.

“Damn!” Kohaku cursed, “They’re onto us!” Xia Jin looked into the distance.
Three men in white robes wielding nodachis darted across the snow covered plains at them. “Prince, get back!” Kohaku shouted. She took her composite bow in hand and fired an arrow towards the man closest to her. With blazing speed, her target made an arching slash that split the arrow through the middle. The Prince saw this and froze in fear. These men could stop even arrows? Kohaku turned to the Prince, “GO!!! I’ll buy you as much time as I can, now run!!!” He immediately came back to his senses and fled over the hills into the woodland out of sight.

The men still running towards Kohaku and Xia Jin began to change formation. One slowed down and allowed the other two to form wings on his side. As Kohaku fired more and more arrows towards them, the men were able to perfectly block them and often-times for each other as well. As they closed in onto the archer, the one in the middle broke formation and moved to chase the fleeing Prince.

“No!” Kohaku thought, “This isn’t good!” but those thoughts were interrupted by the incoming blades of her two remaining assailants. She was able to roll out of the way and shoot another arrow but again, it was cut in two.

The female warrior darted downwards from the slope she stood on and turned back to see how far she had gotten from her attacker. He was already two seconds away from contact, the momentum from running down the hill hastening his arrival. The soldier lunged at Kohaku, but she spun out of the way, making him slam headlong into the tree behind her. His head became stuck within a hole in the tree and as he struggled to release himself, he loosened the massive heaps of thick snow that rested on the tree branches, crashing downwards and snapping his neck on impact.

The other man would not fall for any of Kohaku’s lures and after a moment of cautious circling, the man saw his opportunity to strike and closed in with his blade. He caught sight of Kohaku readying her bow and chuckled to himself. He could play this game all day. The moment came and he struck the air as Kohaku released her bowstring but for some reason, he had stopped in place. He had cut the arrow perfectly like he was trained, so why was it that he stopped? Looking downwards, there were the remains of a broken arrow lying on the snow. And the shaft of a second arrow embedded into his chest. The swordsman slowly looked back up at his opponent.

She had two more arrows pointed straight at him. Before he could react, the arrows struck him, singing through the cold air as they made their mark. The muffled sound of a body falling into the snow could be heard as Kohaku raced to save the Prince.

The Prince darted down the snowy slopes at a furious pace but his pursuer was more athletic and gained on him at an alarming rate. He felt an arm seize his right hand and he was jerked backwards, looking directly towards his captor. The man raised his free arm with a clenched fist, clearly intended to knock him out but the moment never came. Xia Jin froze as he saw an arrow suddenly come out of the man’s neck, puncturing his Adam’s apple. As fearsome as these men were, they did not have eyes in the backs of their heads. The man collapsed into the snow and in the distance, the Prince could see Ueda Kohaku breathing heavily with her bow still in hand.

“Come, Prince, it’s getting dark, we must find shelter,”



The Scarlet Empress triumphantly surveyed the city of Kyoto. She was awaiting news of Himiko's capture so she could take her life herself. Sitting atop the Chrysanthemum Throne in the old palace, she felt sufficiently satisfied. One of her officers walked through the hall with a girl who was struggling to break free of his grip and stopped when he stood in front of Hong Mei. "Your Grace," the officer spoke. "We've captured one of the Imperial Princesses," This piqued the interest of the Empress. "What of the Empress herself?"

The officer shook his head, "All the men are still searching for her, give it some time,"
Hong Mei lapsed in interest once again, "Fine, continue your search and don't bother me again until you've found her, oh, and drop the girl here," The officer bowed and took his leave promptly, leaving the Empress and the Miwa Princess alone in the palace.

"I remember you dear, Princess Mirei was it?" the Empress spoke, "You're the youngest one," The young Princess who couldn't have been older than eight simply stared up at the Empress. "You look so alike to your mother..." Hong Mei spoke as she contemplated. Then, in a murderous rage, she stood up and grasped the girl by the neck with her own two hands, strangling her. The Princess struggled but she couldn't match the raw strength that Hong Mei had and stopped struggling. Her body fell to the floor, limp and unmoving.

A merchant marine walked into the palace but nearly stumbled over and fell as he saw the little girl dead on the floor but maintained his composure and made his report, "Um, Your Grace, I don't know how to put this," "Spit it out," Hong Mei uttered, adrenaline pumping through her veins. "Yes, well, we found evidence that the Miwa Empress had left Kyoto some time ago in some civilian vessels,"

"What?" the Empress cocked her head to this.

"Well, our own vessels were engaging with the Yamato Navy so we were tied up,"
"Don't just give me these excuses, do you know where they went?"
"They headed south and the last word I got was that they passed by Ryūkyū,"
"What are you waiting for then?" the Empress replied coldly, "Mobilize the fleet south and pursue them! You can keep whatever backwater island they fled to, I only want the Empress. Alive," "Yes, Your Grace," the merchant stammered, but he was happy that they merchants could keep the land that Hong Mei had mentioned.
The Scarlet Empress could smell this off the merchant and reminded him, "By keep, I mean a lease, and I sincerely hope you will remember that,"

This put down any feeling of security the merchant had as he shuffled out of the palace. And the Scarlet Empress could only wait.



The Chinese Empire had reached a medieval stage of civilization.



Kagoshima was such a long ways away from Honshu.
It wasn't ideal. The people that came with the Miwa Empress in their exodus across the sea were unused to the humid, hot climate of Indonesia. Many died of disease upon arrival. They were forced to take extreme measures such as the enslavement of the native Indonesians as well. At least they were safe though.

Empress Himiko was searching for her youngest daughter. She distinctly remembered taking one son and two daughters with her and she didn't think she could stray far.
"Where is my youngest daughter?" the Empress asked, turning to her general.
"Princess Mirei was not recorded as having gone on board with us,"
"I have reason to believe that she was lost in Kyoto," the general said grimly.

"No..." she sobbed.

It was her fault, Mirei had been right behind her during the escape. And she had lost her youngest daughter. She needed some time alone but she would find no respite as this was interrupted by a soldier who ran into the temporary palace with some news.

"Your Highness," a Yamato soldier reported with the color drained from his face,
"The Chinese have landed. They're preparing to siege Kagoshima,"

I will update in a few days. I have Spring Break next week so there should be plenty of time for an addition or two to the story.

~Cheers

Good job of employing a specialist economy... As a fairly unskilled Prince player, having my science slider that low for that long would completely cripple my tech rate

Yeah, I only started playing Prince early this year myself. I honestly dumped all my Great Scientists as Specialists into Dailiang and that city alone factored for about 50%+ of my science rate, I believe. I'll pull some screenshots from much later in the save sometime showing how ridiculous the science output is just by oh, I don't know, settling 15+ Scientists in it with practically all the Science buildings.

It's helped my gameplay out alot as I struggled to gain tech while learning Noble doing things like bulbing Tech each time I got a Scientist.

This is a great story that deserves more attention IMO.

You flatter me, SouthernKing.

Apologies for the late update, I have many obligations this week, despite it being Spring Break. I did have a chance though, two days ago to achieve a victory with this game, so by definition, this story is now a real AAR (After Action Report).

My birthday ended a little over an hour ago so I need to grab my chance to update before I attend to more pressing matters.

Thoughts from the Prince.

We had been out in the wilderness for at least two months now, only making incremental movement to avoid manhunters and the routes of the Miwa armies. We’ve done things I never thought I’d have to do before. Just two weeks ago, we came across an isolated civilian hut and just ransacked the place for supplies after having lived off the wild for the duration of our stay. Someone is going to die because I’ve stolen their winter stockpile. That eats at me harder than all the weight of the men I’ve killed in battle somehow. I don’t know why.

No run-ins with the Miwa armies yet. I have no idea how we’ve avoided them for so long as I’ve watched those raiding parties march onto Kyoto. No friendly black & red banners in sight anywhere either. Kohaku from what I’ve observed, is a remarkable soldier. I’ve only been able to survive as long as I had because of her and her survival skills.

She scouted a cave that was bored in the face of the mountainside. We spent some time setting up the camp. I keep thinking to myself what a stupid idea it was to campaign at the beginning of winter; and I don’t style myself a military man either. I’ve watched two brothers fall in battle and now I grimly wonder how many more have gone in my absence.

And there it was. We saw them. Five heads in counting approaching our direction. More manhunters, out for our heads. They didn’t appear to have spotted us though; We scrambled to stow away the items we were carrying and tried to hide. And although Kohaku was still in Yamato uniform, my black and red imperial uniform gave me away. There was still a risk for her to be mistaken for a deserter though and she still needed to hide as well.Fortunately, my companion was a quick thinker. She quickly threw out the albino tiger-skin bivouac sack she carried on her back and threw both of us inside the cramped space on the heavy blankets of snow that blanketed the Japanese countryside. Hurriedly, she threw over the top of our heads and neither of us dared breathe as we heard the heavy footsteps of the Yamato hunters sink into the snow nearby. If they stepped on us, it would be all over.

A moment passed, or what felt like a million moments rather. We heard them leave but we couldn’t be sure. Kohaku and I stayed inside the bivouac sack for at least two hours and when we emerged, the hunters were gone. Running back to the site where we hid all our equipment, we were relieved to find that they had not been discovered as well. Still, we couldn’t rest easy.

“No fire tonight, Prince,” Kohaku said to me, “It will be too risky,”

Night came and the only thing we could really do now was stay warm. The fire I could live without. We huddled up by the cave wall under layered fur blankets and shared a brief meal of salted fish and downed some spirits to keep ourselves warm. Part of me longed to return to Louyang and China in general but the other part of me knew that was potentially unlikely. I would be lucky if I even returned alive and doubly lucky if I came back with all my limbs intact.

All these facts and more kept me up for some time. I noticed Kohaku was awake too, not so much as I could tell anything was on her mind though. She was staying sharp for any evidence of intruders. When I thought about it, we were so busy evading hunters and trying to survive for so long that there really wasn’t any opportunity to chat. I still couldn’t sleep and given that my companion was still up, I tried striking up some conversation.
“Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?”
“Is that an order?” she inquired.
“No, I…” And I was cut off. That stung.
“Then I’m not obliged to tell you anything,”
“You needn’t be so cold about it. I thought you would be open to some conversation unlike those guards always posted for me by my tyrannical mother,” I shrugged.
“Do not speak of your mother that way,” Kohaku said in a threatening tone.
It quickly escalated.
“And why shouldn’t I? You don’t know what it’s like to have that monster for a mother,” I spat out angrily. I’d lost all sense of fear, after being numbed by the trials and tribulations of the last two months.
“The Empress could have your head for this!” she shouted, equally angrily.
“Do you think I care?” I shouted back, incensed, “I’ve watched two brothers fall in battle and Tian only knows how I managed to get this far without dying myself. I already expected it! I’ve no more value for my own life now than my mother does! She doesn’t give two shits about any of us! We only exist because we’re all that’s left to remind her of my father!!!”

After the fact, we both grew silent and passed the rest of the night without another word.

The next morning, I found Kohaku standing at the cave entrance staring intently to the outside. I get up groggily and turn to her. Wordlessly, she passed over a looking glass for me to see. In the farthest distance, I could barely make out the proud black and red standards with the character for my family embroidered on each flag. The Army was here.

Thoughts from the Infiltrator.

No time to lose. We trekked from our starting point at the cave where we took shelter to the wood and then made our way at a crossroads. There was only a small valley that lay along the quickest route to meet with the convoy and we wasted no time in getting there. I still feel the anger burning from last night but there is no time to continue arguing. The Prince and I seem to have reached a common understanding on that at least. As soon as we entered the valley however, I felt a deep regret wash over me.

The Prince and I stood back to back as we saw the white-robed swordsmen and axemen emerge from their hiding places in front of us. There were men approaching us from behind as well. I gritted my teeth, counting at least twenty to thirty of them. I made a bad decision. We should have taken the long route. And I knew this was only because the anger I felt clouded my judgment. Only one way out of this now.

“Prince,” I whispered. “Lend me your axe,”
He passed over the hatchet slowly without a word and the men charged at us, having assured their superior position. Parrying aside the first blow that came in my direction, I spun the hatchet in my left hand while drawing my dagger with my right, gutting the next man that came my way. The third one I tripped and plunged the Prince’s axe in his back as he fell.

I spun around to meet one of the men who was bold enough to try and approach me from behind. The soldier’s neck ran right into my axe blade and stopped him in his tracks. Blood gurgled from the wound on his neck and erupted into a full-blown spray as I yanked the axe blade back out.

Shifting my eyes for a second over to the side, I could see that the Prince was doing his best to fend off two of the men at once. There was no immediately danger and I was confident that he could hold himself but if any more of the men focused their assault on him, he would be done for. I had to draw the attention away.

Felling two more of their number, our attackers grew apprehensive at fighting me directly and backed away slowly to rethink their attack plan. Seeing the men now keeping their distance, I quickly drew my bow and delivered three arrows into the trio of soldiers ahead of me and quickly down six more with the lack of cover in the valley.

All the attention was on me now.

But it wasn’t a good thing. By the time I saw it coming, it was too late. The last remaining soldier flings his axe at me and draws his sword as he dashes towards me.

My right arm was hacked clean through, torn violently from my body. The bow dropped out of my hands and I gasped for air as my body slammed backwards into the frost-covered cliff face. I desperately reached out for my bow string and the arrow lying on the snow near it with my still functioning left arm while holding the grip of it with my right foot. I made one last shot in the hopes that I could throw him off me. It missed. I could feel a blade pierce through my body directly underneath my belly button and the pain spread all across my body as it screamed in anguish. A blade runs through my killer from behind in turn and I can see the Prince come for me, but… he’s arrived too late.

He kneels over me to see how badly I’m hurt. I know I’m going to die. But there’s one last thing I have to do before I go. My hand feebly reaches into my knapsack and I hand him my journal; a gesture that confuses the Prince. I owe it to my Empress. She isn’t a bad woman. I have to make him see that… And now everything is fading to white…





The Dichotomy of a Mother.

Xia Jin frantically bandaged his bodyguard’s wounds and tried to apply pressure on where her arm used to be. He wouldn’t let her die, even if he didn’t have the necessary skills to prevent it. The Prince lifted up her limp body and carried her as quickly as he could to meet the convoy.

The Prince emerged from the woodland to meet the Imperial Convoy. The soldiers were surprised at the sudden arrival of a bloody figure coming out of the woods with an unconscious woman in his arms but the ranking officer present immediately recognized him. “It’s Prince Xia Jin! He’s alive!!” he exclaimed incredulously to which an enthusiastic response was met from the rank and file. Xia Jin himself was not pleased however and as the men approached him, he pushed them aside and shouted with a tone of urgency in his voice,

“Get me the top physician, right this minute!!”
“Isn’t that an enemy soldier though, Your Highness?” the officer asked, taken aback.
“Fool! She serves my Mother directly! Do you not only want to challenge my order, but my Mother’s as well?!” Xia Jin barked, “Now help me!!!”

The soldiers heeded their Prince’s call and helped to carry Kohaku while a few ran off to seek the physicians. Kohaku’s limp body was carted into a temporary medical tent and the Prince could only wait as the convoy marched on to Kyoto. They stopped at a small settlement where the Prince was made aware of what transgressed over the last couple of months. Osaka had been taken and the far-off colony of Kagoshima was now under siege by a combined Chinese merchant marine force and a native Indonesian uprising. He was only concerned about the welfare of his bodyguard though, and didn’t like wasting his time twiddling his thumbs just listening to the military reports being given to him. Several hours pass and the Prince finally receives notice from an adjutant to see the physician in his tent.

Upon arrival, the physician reported Kohaku’s condition to the Prince.
“She will live, although her days in the service of the Empress are now officially over. Other than the loss of her arm, her sword wound has permanently damaged her reproductive functions,”

“Here is my report on her condition, Prince. She’s to be declared combat ineffective and when she recovers, must be taken off duty. I hope that is sufficient, Your Highness,” Xia Jin allowed the physician to leave and reflected on the matter. The Prince stayed seated by Kohaku as she rested on the bed, unconscious. He thought to remove the book she had handed him earlier from his robe and began to read.

The first entry he came across was very brief, but telling. The entry appeared to be from over a decade ago as signified by the date messily scribbled on the page.
“Today, I am practicing my writing. The Empress is giving me lessons herself,
I am lucky to…I don’t know the characters yet. I should stop here,”

Going through several more pages, the writing considerably improved,
“The Empress says I am improving quickly, both in written script and in learning Mandarin. I’ll be moving onto other studies that I’ll need for my work, from what I’m told. They’re of a martial nature? I don’t know what that means yet but I’m going to start these martial studies tomorrow. I can’t wait,”

Flipping through the pages, the Prince came upon the longest entry in the journal,
“I’m confident in my writing ability now, confident enough to express my gratitude to the woman who lifted me out of abject poverty and gave me purpose in an articulate manner. I’m going to write this to remind me where I came from and what I was, because if I forget, then I’ll lose myself to the illusions and pretensions that I like to indulge in. Here goes. I was born in Osaka, born into the burakumin community; outcasts to both the common people and the gentry for being handlers of death and filth,”

“I was orphaned at a young age when my father, an executioner, was murdered by outlaws seeking revenge for the execution of their brethren. My mother soon died of grief not too long afterwards. I ran away from the community and alternated from living with groups of street urchins to surviving in the wilderness in the spring and summer months.”

“I eventually wandered into Chinese territory in the west and settled myself among the other orphans there. They caught me trying to pickpocket the lord of Shanghai, who was strolling through the streets with his cabinet. I was about to suffer the consequences, when the Scarlet Empress, who was present at the time recognized my potential and swept me under her wing. I grew into a woman of many talents under her own tutelage and the tutelage of the many tutors she assigned to me. I was taught to write, given a home, and given a purpose thanks to her generosity. I will never forget nor forsake it as long as I live,”

“If it’s not too bold for me to say, I think of the Empress as a sort of surrogate mother oftentimes. I should stop this entry now, even though I have so much more to say. More pressing matters require my attention,”

Xia Jin now reached the end of the journal; the last entry was written just three days ago, before the falling out between them, “I remember presiding over the social gatherings of the ladies-in-waiting at Huiji before, and wishing how I could live their lives. No one knows I’m a burakumin after all. No one will judge me for being unclean. I have that chance now. The Empress promised me I would have my chance and that she would accept an early retirement for all that I’ve done for her. She would even be my patron and style me a lady of the court. I even fancied myself one day being wed to one of the Princes. Despite that, I know it’s too late for me. I’ve lived too long as a killer and a warrior to re-integrate with society and I’m being realistic about this. Seven winters spent as an outcast child, six whole winters living life as an orphan and thirteen whole winters working as a killer and a spy. I can’t change,”

“These last several weeks have been the longest I’ve ever spent at one time with another man, let alone another human being. I do honestly cherish this time I spend with the Prince, even though the situation is perilous and I must maintain my professionalism at all times. I hope he doesn’t take my grave nature the wrong way and it could only have been hoped that we met under different circumstances,”

Xia Jin closed the journal and felt a painful, grievous cold build up inside of him. He had done her a great wrong.

Ooh nice

Been following this with enthusiasm

I'm liking your writing style, although the grammar is a bit rough in places. Keep up the good work!

News arrived from the mainland to the forces occupying Honshu that Kagoshima had been captured and that Empress Himiko and the remaining Miwa royal family had been taken to Louyang in chains. A small flagless convoy of ships however, ambushed one of the prisoner ships carrying two members of the Miwa house and sunk it. It was irrelevant to the Scarlet Empress though; the only prisoner she cared to bring back safely was her nemesis, Empress Himiko.

Empress Himiko waited patiently for her own death to come. In an act of cruelty, she was forced to watch her two captured sons beheaded before her. Her once pristine, white robes were now soiled with the blood of her sons and the tears of a bereaved mother. The court minister read a list of false charges from a legal document prepared long before the proceedings were taking place as the gathered audience of military, nobility & bureaucrats waited.

“The costs were high,” the Scarlet Empress proclaimed, “But I have crushed you underfoot,” For the first time in a long time, Hong Mei was satisfied. Even though her husband was long gone, there would be nothing left on this earth to compete for his affections.

“Do you have any last words?”

There was a long silence. Seeing no response from Empress Himiko, Hong Mei gave the executioner the okay and watched the gleaming, bronze axe fall.

Before the axe came down on her neck, Empress Himiko looked Hong Mei straight in the eye and uttered, “I can finally join you now, Xia Pei,”
And as the blade struck flesh, her last words exploded into the air, “It’s not your fault.”

The Scarlet Empress gaped in disbelief for a moment and then leapt off her seat, running down the palace steps to the scene of the execution. She picked up the head of her hated rival and after a moment, chucked it to the ground and threw a fit. On the face of the late Empress Himiko, there was a slight, curled smile. All the presiding officials and aristocrats knew better than to stick around and all hastily left the site. The Scarlet Empress was left to fester in her lonesome.



Kohaku had spent several days confined to a bed. She was alone, with the exception of the daily checkup with the physician and the maids. She was no stranger to it anyways. Like everyone else, Kohaku had caught wind that the war in Japan was over. But while everyone else was celebrating, she was left wondering what she would do now that it was over and…now that she was no longer capable of doing her job.

She noticed a figure enter her room and address her. It was Prince Xia Jin, in his best appearances now that he was back home in Core China. He flashed her a smile and took a seat by her bedside.

“Kohaku, how are you?” the Prince asked.
“I’m doing better. The physician says I’ll have fully recovered within a week,” she smiled slightly.

The Prince averted his gaze a bit, clearly something on his mind.
“Listen, I want to apologize for that time,” The Prince said sincerely. “I understand where you’re coming from now.
I was just so caught up with my own issues with her, that I didn’t realize how much she meant to some people. I really must apologize,”
“It’s fine,” she replied. “I’m just glad I was able to let you know.
She’s your mother and despite how cold and heartless she seems, I’m certain she loves you.
Although, I think you know that better than me,”

“After all, I’m the same way…” Kohaku thought to herself.

“What are you going to do now?” Xia Jin asked.
“I don’t know, it looks like I can expect an early retirement, maybe advise new infiltrators in Louyang,” she shrugged. She could continue to serve her beloved Empress. “I’ve accepted a post to set up a new commandery to expand the Northeastern Frontier,” the Prince said.

“Come to Manchuria with me, Kohaku,”

“I can’t,” she said, looking up at Xia Jin. “I…can’t fight,”
“You don’t need to anymore. Didn’t you want to live the court life? I have many female friends in Chaoxian who would love to take you under their wings and show you the ropes. And I’ll even be your patron as well. That is if you want. We could also use some experienced military instructors for the men defending the Northeastern border.” He looked at her earnestly.

“No, you’re too kind, Prince but, really, I can’t…”
“You can’t or you won’t because you’re afraid of experiencing something new?”
There was a long silence. The Prince was right on the spot.
“That life was what you wanted, right?”

“It is, but…” Kohaku answered, eyes now downcast. The Prince could tell that she was still apprehensive. He knew she had practically poured her heart out to him and was at a crossroads on what to do, torn between what she always wanted and what she’d always known. Well, it was his turn to go all in.
“Because let me tell you,” Xia Jin fixed his gaze straight into the wounded warrior’s eyes and spoke, “This is what I want.”

The warrior looked back upwards wide-eyed. She didn’t know what to make of it.
The Prince simply smiled at her and outstretched his hand.
Kohaku gave it a moment’s thought and resolved to give the Prince her hand.

The sun’s warm rays penetrated through the window of the room. Kohaku felt the light bathe her in a cleansing warmth.

A long winter had passed.

And a new spring bloomed in its place.



The Scarlet Empress died in her bed in a state of delusional fever exactly one month after the execution of the Miwa Empress. Rumors were abound that the spirit of the late Empress Himiko had haunted her to death, or even that the ghost of the late Xia Emperor cursed her for ending the life of his former lover.

There were few gifts laid in her honor other than the ones laid down by her immediate family, as members of the factions that directly assisted the Empress quietly withdrew from public life as to not incur the wrath of the resurgent bureaucrat factions. One odd gift laid at the public altar in front of her tomb did stand out however. A single blank journal lay in the center of the pile.

After the Scarlet Empress’ death, it was revealed to the public that the surviving princes from the war had hidden away the two remaining Miwa scions from their mother. Xia Long II, the Crown Prince attempted to repatriate Honshu to the surviving Miwa Prince but this move was blocked by a coalition of the military and the cabal of aristocrats in Kyushu. They did not want their hard-earned gains lost to the whims of an idealist emperor. A compromise was settled, giving Miwa Jiro governorship of Honshu, in accordance with what had been given to the Shin family of Corea in the past.

The remaining Miwa scions married into the Imperial Family as well, with Princess Miwa Shizuka marrying Crown Prince Xia Long II and Prince Miwa Jiro given the hand of the Heavenly Princess, Xia Hua Lian.

With the war in Japan over, the Empire began to shift their priorities back to the Northeastern frontier, where the Manchus were still a constant, daily threat.
But more importantly, the Empire of the Han was free to develop domestically now.



“Move it!!” snarled a guard dressed in the black and red standard of the Han.
His small detachment had chained up a posse of twenty prisoners of war in tow.
They were taken to a courtyard where there was a lone woman sitting, reading a scroll.

“My Lady,” the guard piqued up. “We’ve captured a Manchu captain and several of his men during their last raid on the fort,” “What should we do with them?” The guard then ran up to the woman and whispered in her ear, “The prison is almost full to bursting, My Lady,”

“Let me meet them,” came the woman’s order.
The prisoners of war were made to kneel on the hard, cold courtyard floor.
As the men were able to glimpse up after being pushed down, they began to snicker.

A one-armed woman dressed in an elaborately decorated noblewoman’s dress got up to greet the prisoners. As she walked, wafts of her sweet perfume emanated from her and the silks she wore made a pleasant rustling sound with each step she took. She stood over the kneeling Manchus and addressed them. “I am the governess of Heilongjiang Commandery,” the woman spoke in an imposing tone. “Submit to the will of the Xia Emperor and your lives will be spared,”

The Manchus burst out laughing. Not only was a woman trying to talk them down, but a cripple at that! If a one-armed, prettied up woman was all that was stopping the Manchu Hordes from plundering Chaoxian, then they were fools for not taking the initiative for all this time.

The woman kicked her bow from off the ground, and with amazing speed and accuracy, grabbed the handle with her left hand while readying an arrow with her right foot and shot the captured leader’s head clean off. The Manchus had stopped laughing and turned to look at their beheaded leader’s body still kneeling in chains. They looked back at the governess. She had another arrow loaded, ready to fire.

“Go easy on them, darling, they don’t know any better,” a man said as he walked into the courtyard. His clothes signified that he was part of the Imperial Family, something that put an additional level of fear into the eyes of the Manchus.
“Alright,” the woman said mildly. “Will you submit or not?” she asked.
The Manchus nodded furiously
“Put them to work then,” she told the guards.
“Yes, Ma’am!” shouted the guards and the prisoners were taken away.

“That took some time,” the man kissed her on the lips as they locked in embrace.
“I hope it didn’t interrupt your reading,” he added.
“I was done with it anyway,” the woman shrugged.
“You’re done with it already?” the man asked, looking at the scroll on the table.
“Yes, the book was alright. I think a couple more passages would’ve been in order,”
“We can get some new ones from the Core then,” he grinned.
“Anyways, I came to remind you about the social gathering tonight, darling,”
“Oh, I already know, but can we just stand here a moment? I’m just a little bit tired,”
“Sure,” the man smiled. They spent a moment simply enjoying the others’ company when the woman touched the man’s chest with her sole hand.
“Yes?” the man cocked his head.
“Thank you,” she smiled.




Writer's Aside: That wraps up this segment of the story. We'll be moving back to Empire events again, but there will be more theatrical updates later.

I like this story. Like Princes of the Universe in a way, you managed to make it sound like more than a Civ story. Eagerly awaiting more.

Writer’s Aside: I’ve taken a few artistic liberties with the depiction of some of these deities as to better fit this story. If you want the real stories of members of the Chinese Pantheon, look them up, as the lore is very interesting on its own.

Religion In The Empire



An Introductory Theological Study on the Chinese Religion and the Chinese Pantheon
An introductory lecture by Chen Mingtzu to be used as an introduction to foreign nationals studying the Celestial Bureaucracy and Taoism. To be used in starting Theology courses at Dailiang University. Publication Date 1740.

Taoism, unlike every other religion in the world, is polytheistic. It also holds the belief that there is a cycle of reincarnation instead of a final judgment. Souls pass through an analysis of the deeds and misbehaviors made in their lifetime and are reborn in a better or worse form accordingly.

The Celestial Bureaucracy is unique in the concept of advancement. If a mortal has led an outstanding career or performed amazing feats in life, then in death the Bureaucracy considers it prudent to take the mortal’s soul and promote them to the status of a spirit. Given enough work and persistence, that spirit can rise up the ranks and become a full-fledged god. It is even potentially possible to join the upper echelon of the Twelve highest gods; many of its members were originally mortals themselves according to legends!

Unlike the structure of Western religions where there is One Supreme God whose authority is absolute, the Celestial Bureaucracy is run like its namesake, as a Bureaucracy with gods and goddesses taking posts appropriate to their abilities.

The Shen (or Gods) of the Bureaucracy reside in Heaven, a plane of existence separate from the mortal realm, and hold court in the skies above. Di Yu, or the Underworld is run separate from the mortal realm as well, and the Shen hold many other swathes of otherworldly real estate as well.

There are thousands upon thousands of minor gods and goddesses of the Bureaucracy that range from local figures to minor functionaries but there are twelve major deities to take note of who move and shake the Bureaucracy at its core. We will be taking a look at them now so pay attention.

Shennong- The Divine Farmer
Alternative Names: Thần Nông (Vietnamese)



Shennong is credited with gifting the Han peoples with the secrets of agriculture and traditional medicine. Moved by the suffering and cries of the diseased and hungry from the mortals below, he descended in the form of a man and forced himself to eat one hundred different herbs and seventy varieties of poison. Having a transparent body, he could observe the effects of each plant on his own body. With the knowledge gained from his experiments, he bequeathed his knowledge of botany to the Han. He is also credited with the inventions of the plow, the rake & the cultivation and preparation of tea.

In popular culture, Shennong has some associations with virility; his default form being that of an elderly gentleman, but being able to change at will into the form of a virile, energetic young man. Shennong was the patron God for farmers, physicians, alchemists in the past. In modern times, he is honored by all medical institutions and venerated by couples attempting to start a family.

Guan Yu- The God of War
Alternative Names: Kan'u (Japanese)



Many of the stories that are associated with Guan Yu have been lost to antiquity but there are several details that still survive with his image. He is depicted as an extraordinarily tall and powerful man wielding his legendary polearm, the Green Dragon Cresent Blade. His face appears as red as his famous mount, Red Hare and perhaps his most significant feature is his long, flowing beard; said to have been admired by many. Guan Yu, being the God of War is honored before initiating a military campaign. Many who espouse the Taoist faith credit Guan Yu with the unparalleled military success the Chinese Empire has seen.

Guan Yu is said to reward those who exemplify the virtues of brotherhood, loyalty, righteousness & bravery. Guan Yu’s worship in modern times has taken on a dualistic nature. Law enforcement agencies and police forces worship him for the virtues of righteousness & bravery. On the other hand, criminal organizations such as the tongs, triads, yakuza and the Corean mobs venerate him for his aspect of brotherhood and loyalty.

Chang’e- The Moon Goddess



Chang’e was an immortal who lived with her husband Houyi in Heaven while serving the Celestial Bureaucracy. After Houyi slew the nine Sun-birds, they were banished to Earth and forced to become mortals. Houyi attempted to reclaim their immortality and when he finally obtained the elixirs of life, he left them at home while pursuing an errand, leading Chang’e to drink one of the elixirs in her curiosity. She subsequently began to float into the sky, much to her husband’s horror as he tried to catch her but she was out of reach and landed on the Moon.

While on the moon, she befriended the Lunar Hares who were living on the Moon and now watches over the residents of Earth from their Lunar Palace. The Lunar Hares, moved by her plight, work day and night preparing pastries to restore her back to the Earth and re-unite her with her husband.

The Goddess of the Moon is universally loved and special attention is paid to her on the Mid-Autumn Festival.
People eat moon cakes in her honor and parents ask Chang’e to bless their children with beauty.

Houyi- The Peerless Archer



Houyi is venerated for being the hero who slew the nine Sun-birds who scorched the Earth when they decided to all rise in unison. Houyi and his wife, Chang’e were banished from the Bureaucracy and stripped of their immortality for this act.

Houyi sought out Xiwangmu in order to restore their immortality and his request was granted on the condition that he built a new palace for her. He was granted two elixirs of life which he left at home, and while he was out on an errand, Chang’e in her curiosity drank an elixir and ascend to the moon, lost forever to the Peerless Archer.

The loss of his wife had changed Houyi into a bitter man and during his temporary reign of a mortal realm, he had become a tyrant. He was later deposed, killed and ascended as the Sun.

Popular (if optimistic) conventions hold that one day Houyi can be redeemed and re-united with his wife.

Military personnel, particularly those of the artillery corps and elite sharpshooters ask for his blessings to make their shots both swift and accurate. In antiquity, he was the favored deity of those serving as archers. In civilian life, frontiersmen & hunters pray to him to make their shots count.

Nezha- The Youthful Trickster



When Nezha was born, he emerged from his mother as a round, ball of flesh. His father, believing him to be a demon split the ball in two with his sword. Nezha emerged from the split ball as a teenage boy, full of energy and vigor. As part of his disposition as a reckless youth, he reveled in causing havoc and chaos to his amusement; playing pranks on people and formenting mayhem in general.

Nezha would plague his father in particular with many troubles. Enough trouble for his father to want to kill him. After several scuffles, they eventually made up and patched up their relationship. Nezha now serves as a General in the Celestial Bureaucracy.

In modern times, he is the patron God of comedians and rebellious teenagers. His likeness has been appropriated into many sub-culture movements as to represent the deviation from the norm.

Xiwangmu- The Queen Mother of the West
Alternative Names: Seiōbo (Japanese)



Xiwangmu was once a savage creature who guarded the secrets of immortality but over time became civilized and cultured. She had many mortal lovers who all came to her seeking her wisdom or the secrets of immortality. All of these lovers received an opportunity to partake in these blessings but failed in some way or another. She has one of the most senior-ranking seats within the Celestial Bureaucracy. Xiwangmu represents ferocity, the cardinal direction of the West and the aspect of femininity.

Xiwangmu protects all women and she is venerated and deferred to chiefly by women. Other followers of the Queen Mother of the West generally seek her wisdom.

Modern anthropological studies suggest that the connotation between West and femininity came about and became more heavily emphasized during the Middle-Medieval Period onward into the modern day with the continual influx of foreign women from western regions of the world such as Europe and Africa. Other theories suggest that early contact with a matriarchal leader of the proto-Turks may have lent to the development of this goddess, given the common depiction of Xiwangmu with brown hair.

Guanyin- The Bodhisattva of Compassion
Alternative Names: Gwan-eum (Corean), Quán Thế Âm (Vietnamese), Kuan Eim (Thai), Kannon (Japanese), Kwan Im (Indonesian)



There are numerous stories surrounding Guanyin, but the common theme that occurs in all of them is compassion. Guanyin is depicted as a gentle, beautiful woman who gives her love to all, regardless of circumstance or birth. Her robes are white and her adornments royal, in order to emphasize her purity.

As such, she is one of the more popular deities of the Celestial Bureaucracy and her popularity is especially high in poorer regions of the Empire and outside of the Empire. Many prisoners and repentant criminals look to her for guidance and forgiveness as well.

Yanluo- The Lord of Death
Alternative Names: Yama (Indian), Yeomla Daewang (Corean), Enma Dai-Ō (Japanese)



Yanluo is the presiding judge of Di Yu, the Underworld. He is tasked with judging mortal souls for their merits and demerits, and passing on an appropriate reincarnation to each one depending on how virtuous or wicked they were during their time on Earth. Yanluo is the ultimate judge of character, although he has been charged with being too lenient on certain cases now and then.

He is attended to by an army of Horse-headed and Ox-headed demons, who assist him and the minor functionaries of Di Yu in the everyday management of the Underworld.

Yanluo is worshipped and honored by the grieving, in hopes that they can mitigate punishments and extol the finer points of a loved one’s life as they pass judgment. And he is almost certainly most present during funeral processions and occasions where individuals honor their dead kin.

Huang Di- The Legendary Sovereign



Once the leader of a nomadic tribe in a time where there were many fractured states, Huang Di found himself besieged by a barbarian bull-god.
With his incredible charisma, he gathered eight allied tribes and marched into pitched battle with the barbarian.

Using magic and foul play to conjure a macabre fog and blot out the sun, the barbarian god nearly gained the upper hand on Huang Di. It was then that Huang Di procured the South Pointing Chariot, leading his forces out of the fog into safety. He then summoned a demon to clear the fog away and met again with the barbarian god to do battle. His enemy was utterly defeated and the allies, in awe of his intelligence and power, pledged their allegiance to him.

Huang Di is venerated by statesmen and stateswomen who seek his savvy and charisma in their lines of work.
He is also honored by long-term planners and those who wish to be blessed with even a portion of his insight in the workings of the world.

Modern anthropological and archaeological studies suggest that Huang Di may have been an early progenitor in prehistoric times for the Han ethnic group.

Sun Wukong- The Monkey King
Alternative Names: Hanuman (Indian), Son Oh Gong (Corean), Tôn Ngộ Không (Vietnamese), Son Gokū (Japanese), Sun Go Kong (Indonesian)



Sun Wukong was a monkey who was birthed from a stone on the mythical Mountain of Flowers and Fruit. He became the King of the Mountain when he earned the respect of the other monkeys by finding a new home behind a waterfall for them. Not satisfied with being the ruler of the Mount, he set off to seek immortality. On his journey, he acquired numerous powers that elevated him to the level of a deity and sought an audience with Heaven to seek an official post.

The gods of the Bureaucracy looked upon him with disdain however because he was a monkey and gave him the demeaning post of the Protector of the Horses. Furious, The Monkey King declared himself the Great Sage Equal to Heaven and caused havoc within the Bureaucracy and the Heavenly Court. He went on a rampage for some time as the Celestial Bureaucracy had underestimated his capacity.

Many of the stories describing what had happened in this intermediary period have been lost but it is agreed that Sun Wukong had eventually been subdued and made to undergo a series of trials to earn his redemption. After which Heaven and Sun Wukong had reached a compromise and he was respectfully placed as a member of the Twelve.

The Monkey King is the Pantheon’s other resident trickster god, and although early encounters between Nezha and Sun Wukong were fueled by animosity, they later became good friends and continued to prank the various divinities of Heaven together.

Sun Wukong does not preside over any area of worship but he is a popular character portrayed in the media and in many works of literature.

Nüwa- The Creator of Man
Alternative Names: Joka (Japanese)



Nüwa was a survivor of a time before. She is depicted as a great, serpentine dragon along with her husband and her human-shape is that of a beautiful, elegant and collected woman. During her time, a great flood had swept over the land and Nüwa along with her husband, Fu Xi were the sole survivors. When the waters subsided, she set about with her husband on the task of repopulating the world.

The children she and her husband created directly were said to become the peoples of East Asia. While those that she labored by her own hand to create from the Earth were to become the other various peoples of the world. Her other tasks were equally momentous. She toiled to repair the world from the damage of the Great Flood and retired from the world and divine affairs once her work was done.

She is honored as the creator of mankind and given the highest position within the Celestial Bureaucracy, a seat only shared with her husband, Fu Xi. Nüwa is also the patron goddess of builders, architects and workers, bestowing them with the strength and intelligence needed to provide mankind with shelter and security should calamity befall them again.

Fu Xi
Alternative Names: Fukki (Japanese)



No contemporary depictions of him as a human exist. The only available depictions of him are of his draconic form. It is also unclear what his role in the Celestial Bureaucracy is although he is noted to be the husband of Nüwa and shares the highest seat of power with her. The only other information that can be inferred is that along with his wife, he survived the flood and set about re-populating the Earth with her. Like his wife, he is thought to have withdrawn from both the mortal world and Heaven as well for reasons unknown.

Though rare in antiquity, it has come to the attention of the academia in Cultural Studies that people finding their lives wayward or struggling with depression have begun seeking Fu Xi because of his unknown and uncertain nature. Where this develops, the Empire will see in a few decades time.

The Parthenon

Constructed by the famed architect, Hu Tian Ming, the Parthenon stands proud in the center of the city of Cheng’an. Many great figures come to Cheng’an each year, to pay their respects to the Shen and ask to be endowed with intelligence and cunning.

Unlike many other architects, Tian Ming was actively involved in the direct construction of his project, much to the scorn of his contemporaries. And despite pleadings from the civil servants that presided over the project, Tian Ming simply insisted that he had to have a hand in constructing the Parthenon. It infuriated and worried them to no end that their sponsored architect might lose his life atop the heights of the temple and with it, lose their investments.

Tian Ming had just laughed it off each time and re-joined his construction crews, who loved his company and admired his dedication to the project.

The Parthenon’s interior is made up of a collection of ornate temples chiefly dedicated to the Shen who embodied the values of intellect. Shennong, Huang Di and various minor deities all had a shrine embodied here. Chiefly, the temple was made to be a site of veneration for Nüwa however. Nüwa, being the patron goddess of builders and holding the highest rank of seniority within the Celestial Bureaucracy had to be take precedence of course. A statue of Nüwa stands in the center point of the building, fully garbed, while holding a scroll in her hand. Popular convention holds that the sculptor, Zhu Wen Huang, had initially wanted to create a nude sculpture of the goddess but when Hu Tian Ming had heard this, he immediately rushed over to the site and started a brawl with him, which was broken up by the bureaucrats and officials who were present at the time of the debacle. The chief architect saw this as a gross violation of the sanctity of his patron goddess and demanded that he robe the goddess properly. Zhu Wen Huang would accede to his demands but the two would never work together again after this incident.

Hu Tian Ming would continue to work on several other projects, but he continued to rant and lament to his family and friends that he would never be able to outdo himself on another building as grand as the Parthenon was.



The Great Library

Baek Ki Hoon was waiting anxiously outside the harbor. His friend and colleague Hisano Tatsuya was arriving from Shanghai to meet with him. The two scholars had both been accepted to take positions as assistant professors at the newly constructed Great Library of Dailiang at the behest of the Curator, Fan Yi. The Curator had seen their work before in various literary and theological texts; needless to say, he was thoroughly impressed and sought for them to come teach at the Great Library.

The observant Corean spotted a thin, wiry man dressed in a light blue hanfu walking out of the dock entrance in the middle of a long line of departed passengers entering the city. He called out to him several times until he was finally noticed and approached.

The two men exchanged warm greetings and moved to the side as to not impede the nearby traffic.
“How are you, my friend?” Baek asked, “I understand that was your first voyage, yes? Hopefully, you didn’t get seasick,” the scholar laughed.
“I did indeed become seasick,” Hisano admitted, “Multiple times. But it’s wholly worth it just for this opportunity. I can’t believe I’m in Dailiang, the city of learning!”
“Shall we have a light meal before we proceed to the Library?” Baek asked.
“Certainly, I’m quite famished,” the other man responded enthusiastically.
They walked down the street and settled on eating at an open-air restaurant across the way.
The waiter prepared two cups for the guests and poured each of them some oolong tea.
“An order of jiaozi and four mantou, please,” Baek requested.
Leaving the two guests to their own devices, the waiter left hastily with the order.

“Have you already been to the Library?” Hisano asked.
“Yes, quite a few times already since its opening,”
Both men paused to sip their tea.
“How would you describe it?” the Kyushu native eagerly prodded.
Baek took a moment to ponder and then spoke, “Hisano, the first time I entered the Great Library, I felt an overwhelming sense of wonder wash over me.
I really felt as if the collective knowledge of mankind was concentrated in that one building. It…almost feels sacred…”
The musings were cut short by the re-appearance of the waiter, who set their food on the table.
“Oh, the food’s here,” Baek remarked. “Let’s talk about this some more after we finish,”

After walking several blocks, the two scholars came upon the street leading to the Great Library. Situated up atop a small hill, the Great Library towered over all other buildings in the vicinity. Hisano was amazed. “It’s a work of art!” he exclaimed as he caught sight of the exterior. Baek grinned, “Believe me, my friend, you haven’t seen anything yet,” As they entered the building, the two men were stopped by one of the guards posted in the interior lobby.

While Baek simply passed the guard his scholar’s insignia, Hisano hastily procured the letter from Fan Yi from his robe and handed to the soldier. The man looked through the letter briefly and then handed it back to the eager scholar, “You’ll need to obtain your academic insignia from the Director once you’re inside, Lord Hisano. Other than that, you are now free to pass. Good day, my lord,”

The other guards by the heavy iron door that led into the interior of the Great Library moved into position and opened it for the two scholars. Hisano nearly fainted as he gazed upon the rows after rows of bookcases housing scrolls and documents. The building was also comprised of multiple tiers going six floors up, all with more bookcases and individual chambers and offices of each discipline and course studied. There really seemed to be no end to it all.

“It’s beautiful isn’t it?” Baek mused as he helped his friend up.
“Come on, the Curator wants to see us, we’d best not keep him waiting,”

are you not going to do any exploring? your minimap looks a little small and i bet there are loads of Europeans waiting to trade.

Not to worry, hoplitejoe.

I don't tend to do a lot of exploring in most of my games save for circumnavigation.
But I will reveal the map in several updates. Until then, enjoy what has already been written.

Also, the next update should be expected to come sometime on the weekend.
If it all, really, because this week is rather busy for me. So no promises.
Not only am I sick, but I have a self-portrait to do today that's due tomorrow
and I need to start on my term paper comparing and contrasting the Hagia Sophia with the Kabbah.

This is very great. Very very good. Hopefully it won't ----------- like Sistual's story. I didn't say it so I didn't curse it. Good luck!

As stated (but not promised), I have an update today.



At the Battle of Songhua River, Imperial Han troops stymied a full-scale advance by the Manchu hordes in their attempt to penetrate Corea. Many Manchu divisions were captured or had defected over to the Chinese side and subsequently revealed the location of a major Manchu stronghold to the east that lay further up the Amur River.



The role of Chinese males in society began to see some significant changes in their development during and after the reign of the Scarlet Empress. The concept of heroic bloodshed became widespread amongst all levels of society between males, irrespective of ethnicity or rank. It espoused concepts such as brotherhood, redemption, duty & honor and quickly cemented itself into the fabric of Chinese society. The idea that one would swear an oath with close friends or those who have shared the same tribulations or suffering (usually through warfare) and become undying blood brothers was very popular and gained ground rapidly across most men within the Empire.

The heroic bloodshed movement gave rise to the concept of a xia; or wandering knight-errant. The name was derived from the surname and namesake of the Emperors themselves. Xia, in essence, were vigilantes who sought justice for people wrongly oppressed or undermined. They also fought tirelessly against the unending hordes of the Manchus, who craved for the destruction of the Empire and plunge East Asia into eternal barbarism. And they would achieve all of this through the force of a sword. They could come from any social class; there are numerous records of individuals like farmers, artisans, scholars & noblemen who became xia for various reasons or another. The stable core of the Chinese Empire had no need for their brand of vigilante justice. Out on the new frontier however, on the settlements created on Manchu lands, the xia were a necessity where law, order & civilization were nowhere to be found and barbarian attacks were a daily occurence.

All of this was encouraged within society by the Emperors and had great synergy with the feminist movements of centuries past; continuing the trend of female governance and male militancy on the border provinces. The core saw these movements affect them in much different ways. The capital had now become the de facto military hub of the Empire; young boys were taken at birth to be trained in military affairs for their entire lives. The military divisions produced from Louyang would later become the most feared troops in the world. Dailiang had continued its position as a hub for scientific learning while Huiji, Linzi & several other Core cities began projects of their own and gained prestige in commerce and culture. Core Chinese cities were becoming highly specialized according to the region and the demand.

The military in particular had become highly organized, with highly specified roles given to different units. Archers & Spearmen were designated as Tiger Vanguard, the backbone and main defensive force of the Chinese military structure. Swordsmen & Axemen units were known as Dragon Marauders, chiefly selected for making raids or overpowering cities & settlements. The Navy went under the guise of the Tortoise Armada; at this point the Chinese Navy was chiefly transport only and it would not be until much later that they would develop other capabilities. Finally, a new branch was established for the nascent Chinese cavalry forces; the Phoenix Brigades.



On the Manchurian Front, Dragon Marauders had come upon the Manchurian capital of Libyan. They laid hidden in the woodland by the Amur bank before taking any actions as the small raiding party was vastly outnumbered by the Manchu garrison.

i play rfc too much, i was just about to mention the Mongol spawn

I'm quite shocked at how quickly this forum has been moving now. Guess I better update more frequently. In-game screenshots will be here on the next update.
I guess I have to hope people read this update before the page gets buried with updates from the explosion of new threads.

Anyways, enjoy, longest entry yet and the first of a three-part segment.


There once was a barbarian princess from a land far to the west.
She had hair as bright as the sun and eyes as blue as the sea.
Little did she know her destiny,
Was to undertake a journey.
The Journey to the East.

excerpt from The Journey to the East by Lady Wong Shuzi



You may have heard of the tale, The Journey to the East before. A story about a barbarian princess who sets forth across the great distance of Eurasia from her native homeland to wed the Emperor of China. It’s a beautiful story, no doubt. But I feel like telling it as a whole. You see, I am that barbarian princess. Though I am an old woman now who has borne witness to everything from grandchildren and great-grandchildren being born to the death of my beloved husband, I still remember my experience like no other. Let me tell you, about my Journey to the East. Let me tell you, the story of a time when I was not yet Empress Lan Ye Hua, the Blue Wildflower, but the story of Adeline Engels, Barbarian Daughter of Saxony.



My native country of Saxony was then locked in mortal struggle with our sworn enemies, the Gauls of Gallia.
My father, Aldrich Engels was the leader of the Confederation of Saxon Tribes.

Once, the Saxons, the Gauls & the Batavi had lived in peace with one another. According to our religious traditions, all the children of Europe were sired from the line of Japheth, and as such, spiritual kin. We were also united in keeping the threat of the Romans in check. Although they were purportedly kin as well, such a decadent nation could not be allowed to flourish and corrupt the world. But our pact was broken with the advent of the Schism. The Gauls were corrupted by Roman promises of gold and luxury and were seduced into turning their axes on us. The Batavi did nothing to stop this and instead, grew content from making profit off of the blood of old friends. This conflict had been raging for more than a hundred years now. But it was close to an end. Decisively defeated at the Battle of Alsace-Lorraine, we gathered what was left of our forces and dug in at Hamburg in preparation for the coming Gallic invasion.

Those hot summer weeks were peppered with short skirmishes with Gallic raiding parties, meant to probe our strength and resolve. I remember coming home from one such engagement with a tribesman telling me that my father had summoned me into his tent and wished to speak with me. As I arrived, I was seated and waited for him to speak.

“Adeline, I have dreamt of something momentous that I must share with you, my daughter,”
He took a moment to stroke his graying beard and then continued with his account of the dream.
“I am standing on a mountain looking down below me. There is a sea of fire that boils beneath my feet. I see our hated enemies, the Gauls burning in the midst, but they are not alone. I see the Batavi, the Avalon, the Iberians, and even the Romans; all the neighbors of Saxony, drowning in the tides of fire. The Serpent visits me again, Adeline. He beckons to me and says he can save me. Save me from the fire. I hesitate. The Serpent says I don’t have much time,”

“I decide to take a gamble. I give him my hand and suddenly, I feel all my burdens lifted from my shoulders as we ascend to the heavens. I ask him what he desires in return. He shakes his head and tells me that on the day all men on this earth join as one, that I will have done my part to save all men from calamity. I tell him that I don’t understand. He turns to me, and tells me that it is his penance for his failures, and before I can ask what he means by that, he’s gone,”

My father in his youth, had strange dreams. They began when he was a child but exploded into prominence when he became of fighting age. He was a young warrior then, leading a small company of two hundred axe fighters during the campaign of his time. Our forces were to cross the Rhine to attack the Gauls. But on the night before the march, a serpent appeared to him in a dream and had warned him not to cross the Rhine with the rest of the army. The serpent also gave my father knowledge of a secret path to the other side. When my father awoke, he initially disregarded the dream until he saw the path in person as they were about to cross the river. He disobeyed orders to stay with the main company and took his men off into the forest as the army forded the river. As soon as they were halfway across, they found themselves under attack and vulnerable to Gallic arrows coming from the Gallic side of the Rhine. My father took his men through the secret path and descended upon the Gauls, saving the main army and subsequently regarded as a hero.

Since then, he has had many more strangely prophetic dreams that he has deigned to share with me on more than one occasion. Only my sister and I know about these dreams. As practitioners of the Judaic faith, the serpent has the worst connotations, but the serpentine dreams my father experienced had proved to be almost godsends. The dreams had all strangely come true and were beneficial. I believed my father had dreamt another one of his prophecies this time, but neither of us knew what it meant. Until the messenger arrived, that is.



Before my arrival to the lands of the Han, the upper classes were rocked by scandal. Since the reign of the Scarlet Empress, it was perceived by the nobility that Han women had lost their virtue. There were such incidents like the Linzi Luhan incident where a young, drunken noblewoman committed the accidental manslaughter of twenty civilians driving her mother’s chariot through the streets. Or Gu Rui, the woman who died after gorging herself too full at a feast. There were many other incidents I cannot begin to count; some of them I have borne witness to during my life in China.

The nobility was concerned about what was to become of the succession of the Xia line. It was feared that a union with a Core noblewoman would sire unrighteous offspring and plunge the Empire into chaos for the loss of virtue. Some suggested that the Emperor should revisit the Shin line for a bride or take a cousin from the Miwa house in the newly formed Wa Province as his Empress. The Xia Emperor instead visited the principal shrine of the Queen Mother, Xiwangmu and sat before her statue to venerate the goddess and wait for a sign. On the third day, a gust of wind raged through the shrine and blew out all of the candles. All but the candles that faced the West side of the shrine were snuffed out. The Emperor now understood. He publicly declared that he sought a bride from the West and that he would bequeath his protection unto the kingdom that could procure his future Empress. He entrusted fifty messengers with twenty proposals each and set them off towards the Holy Land and beyond.

One of these messengers came upon Hamburg and requested an audience with the highest local authority. Tribal attitudes were wary and distrusting of a man who looked as civilized as himself, but our customs demanded that we show him hospitality. I remember finding myself immensely curious about this man who looked so different from us. His hair, while long like the men of my tribe, was straight and black instead of blonde and wavy. While we wore chiefly animal furs and painted our faces, this man wore a strange article of clothing that was red. I wondered to myself what a land completely occupied by these peoples would look like. The most striking detail about him though, the decorative serpents depicted on his clothing. I asked him about it through the interpreter. The response I got was also of great significance.

“These are not serpents, he claims. These are dragons,”

We asked him to join the tribe around the fire. Our guest was then given a meal of venison and bread as he explained why he had come to our Confederation. The man stated that he was a subject of the Empire of the Han and that his mission was to travel to the Judaic lands and deliver the Emperor’s proposals to the daughters of each king or ruler he found. This revelation spurred much discussion. Even as far as our lands of Germania, many kingdoms, tribes and empires had heard of a legendary Gentile empire far to the east that was home to great riches and power.

He then asked if there were any lands west of our territory. We told him about the Batavi, the Avalon & the Gauls but warned him that all lands west of Hamburg were still dangerous warzones. If he continued onwards, he could encounter Gallic raiding parties or Batavi scavengers. The sea routes to the Avalon lands were treacherous as well. The messenger thanked us for our concerns but stated that he would attempt to cross anyway.

As the messenger left in the morning, the elder council was aflame in heated argument. From our interpretations of the letter, it indicated that the Emperor of China sought to extend his reach to the kingdoms of the West through marriage. Those kingdoms would formally become Imperial possessions but the native peoples would be free to govern themselves and pursue their own agendas. They would also be blessed with Han protection and assistance in developing themselves.

The traditionalists vehemently opposed the idea. They were too prideful; they believed that as Saxons, we could never align with civilizing forces. It would corrupt us, like the Romans had done to the Gauls, they argued. And they asserted that we could defeat the Gauls without the help of an overlord. Some of the more radical elders even demanded that we continue fighting until every last Saxon was dead. That path would only lead to self-destruction.

My father knew better. He and a select few argued that we needed to take this opportunity to save our people. We couldn’t defeat the Gauls, and if we were conquered by the Gauls, we would cease to exist as a people. Our blood would still live on within the people of the future, but only through rape and slavery. Our identity would be lost to the wind. My father had the foresight to see that. This was our path to self-preservation but he would have to make a sacrifice. That sacrifice was me.

I looked at him and he looked back at me with heaviness in his heart. We both understood that this was what the dream meant and neither of us doubted the significance of it now. I originally had four younger brothers who had fought valiantly for Saxony. They had looked up to me as an older sister. And to my father, they were more precious than gems. But they had all been slain in battle, some of them before his very eyes. Both my father and I were determined to make it so that the sacrifice of their lives had not been in vain. I slowly rose up from my seat and spoke my mind.

“I will go and become the bride of the Emperor.
None of you can stop me or dissuade me from going otherwise.
I must do this for Saxony,”

An outpour of criticism came my way.

“What do you know?!”
“How can you say this best for the nation?”
“We can never risk being corrupted by civilization!!!”
“Audacious, Adeline, simply audacious,”
“Stop this nonsense now,”
"Adeline, you are too young to understand,"

And then I burst.

“DO NOT PATRONIZE ME SIMPLY BECAUSE I AM YOUNG!!!” I roared.
“It is because I am young, that I am not as blind and deluded as YOU,
It is because I am young, that the future of Saxony rides on my shoulders and not YOURS.
What do I know? I’ll tell you!!”

“Who suffers most from your pride? Your children, the children of Saxony do!
How many more brothers must I watch falling to the brutality of Gallic axes forged by Batavi hands?
How many more sisters must I watch violated by the men of the enemy armies and sold off to Roman lechers?
We have long been a fatalistic people, but it is time we become a realistic people.
If you can’t end this war by the bane of your pride, then I will, by the virtue of my duty!
Who will try and stop me from saving the nation?”

I threw down my sword into the Earth in assertion but really, I was still trying to catch my breath after exploding into my tirade and stood there watching the elders’ faces. The council was dead silent after my speech. Normally, this would be the time when an enraged elder would rise up with his axe and demand to fight. But then the most curious thing happened. One elder simply nodded in approval. And with him, the others began nodding in succession.

It was agreed. I leave the tent and called for an assembly of the tribesmen. When they had all gathered, I announced my departure to the lands of the East.
I was to become the Bride of the Emperor.
“I leave my position in the succession to my sister, Isolde,” I announced.
“From now on, you will follow her guidance and she will lead you into battle. I know she is capable,”
With that, I left and started making my preparations for the journey.

I started to gather everything I needed and stashed them into my packs, but most importantly, the letter that the Han messenger had brought as proof of proposal. Lastly, I sharpened my broadsword before resigning it in my hilt. The letter was enclosed with a map of the messenger’s travels, drawn and charted as he moved ever westward. If it was accurate, then the road to China would be a long one. And doubtless be stalked by thousands of bandits and highwaymen on the way.

My younger sister, Isolde, entered my tent as I packed and began to beg me.
“Don’t go, Adeline,” she sobbed as she held onto me.
“Don’t cry for me, Isolde. It’s unbecoming of you. You’re to become Chieftain when Father passes,” I tried to shake her loose.
“No, we need you! You’re the only one who can save us! I don’t even want to be Chieftain!” she pleaded.
I turned around and looked her straight in the eye.
“Sister, that is exactly why I am going. It’s to save us. I would have gone one way or another, and you know that. Either dying on the battlefields or being captured and sold to some Roman deviant. Please Isolde, for my sake, and yours, I need for you to harden your heart,”
We embraced and she understood that she couldn’t stop me. I stroked her hair and told her she would be a fine leader for our people.
After she had settled down, she handed me a basket full of blue cornflowers.
“I’ve brought this for you, sister, so you never forget the Fatherlands,”
“Thank you, you and Father shall always be in my thoughts,” I promised.



I left in the morning with five of my Father’s hand-picked men and one of the tribe’s translators.
They were to ensure that I arrive at the gates of the Empire unharmed.
We set off to the Saxon-Littorn border, where we would begin on our Journey to the East.

Woah. Awesome, amazing writing as always. I really like this story