Chapter 654

Chapter 654

Without the presence of the Enemy to unite it, Yuzhen wholeheartedly believed the Empire would tear itself asunder.

Three weeks ago, the full military might of the Imperial Armed Forces joined hands and drove the Enemy back into the Western Province. News of their resounding victory swept through the Empire like wildfire, carried by ships, riders, merchants, and even pigeons in some odd cases. Han BoShui was instrumental in spreading the good news, hiring Heralds to read his writings to every village, town, and city they could reach. Nobles and commoners alike revelled in the streets, drinking and carousing in good cheer as they honoured the heroes that made this victory possible. The nobles were split between supporting their respective Colonel Generals, but the majority of commoners united behind Brigadier Hongji, the farmer-turned-Warrior whose tireless efforts on the front lines made all this possible. In similar vein, the people of the Empire also cheered for their Legate Falling Rain, the Mothers Chosen Son whose brilliant mind guided the actions of the Imperial Armed Forces and led them to rout not one, not two, not three, but four sizable Defiled armies out in the field.

A shame BoShuis literary skills were not for sale. A good publicist was worth his weight in gold, even a man as large and strapping as he.

This was the greatest Imperial victory in living history, a much needed one given the stressful times. Not only did this put an end to the entire Defiled offensive, the good news came on the heels of potential disaster. Less than one week before this stunning accomplishment, news of the war had been dire indeed, painting a bleak picture of a losing Empire crumbling before the Enemy threat. The front lines abandoned, the second line under heavy attack, Imperial Legate Shen ZhenWu attacked and injured, only to be replaced by the young, inexperienced, and crippled Falling Rain, all this and more boded poorly for the Empires ultimate fate, but then the tides shifted and the narrative flipped, all in the blink of an eye.

And just as quickly, everything flipped again, not quite on its head, but on its side at least, with the celebrations lasting all of a day, if that.

It all started with the order to withdraw from the second line, an order given by the Legates Office the same night the Imperial Armed Forces scored their resounding victory, but an order conceived and sealed by a mere Imperial Servant. At the time, Yuzhen was one of a select few privy to the news of Rains poor health, but it made no difference since everyone at the highest echelon of command also knew. Zheng Luo, bless her heart, had gotten it into her head that after fighting so hard to hold onto the second line, now was the best time to torch those hard-won walls and withdraw back to the border proper. The worst part was, Yuzhen couldnt argue against Zheng Luos logic, because at the end of the day, the girl was right. The withdrawal from the front lines had been mere centimetres from disaster, and with the Enemy forces reeling on all fronts, it was the perfect time to pull out. Somewhere along the way, everyone had forgotten the simple fact that the first and second lines were never meant to hold indefinitely. They were built as temporary stopgap measures, forward positions to hold out until the real Wall was built, but as time passed, everyone came to depend on that extra buffer, until Zheng Luo saw fit to rudely remind them while they were all mid-celebration.

And so, the people of the Empire were on edge once more, left with but a single line of defence against the endless Defiled hordes. One led by Warriors of renown whod embraced the Fathers foul lies, no less, which no one wanted to dwell upon because it was all too easy to imagine themselves in similar straits and sympathize with the Western traitors. Despite agreeing wholeheartedly with the move, a part of Yuzhen still resented the Imperial Servant for forcing everyone to face the truth, unreasonable though this might be. If she herself felt this way, it was difficult to fault the common people for feeling the same way when their happy celebrations ended on a sour note as the Empires borders shrank once more and the Enemy drew that much closer.

So thus began the downward spiral of the united Imperial efforts, one which continued on to this day.

Hardly surprising in hindsight, all things considered. Paper dragon or not, Falling Rain was the only thing keeping the provinces together, and now that hed lapsed into yet another coma, North, South, and Central no longer had anyone to remind them to look beyond their own personal benefits. As such, they fell back into old patterns and divided the Wall into three sections, sections which each provincial power treated as their own affiliated territory. No longer was the Imperial Army purchasing supplies directly through the Marshals, but rather the Marshals were haggling amongst themselves to barter and trade for whatever each felt was necessary. In this, Central suffered the most, despite Yuzhens attempts to support them, because when it came right down to it, the merchants of the North were less than willing to bend to her will, when theyd been all sugar and smiles when the Legate stood behind her.

To make matters worse, the Imperial Clan had suspended any and all communications with the outer provinces, though at least the Death Corps Guards and Royal Guardians remained at the beck and call of their comatose Legate. There was no news of Shen ZhenWu or anyone coming to replace him, but mercifully, this also meant no one had come to arrest or execute anyone for the death of the provisional Legate, Yang Jixing. Had Rain taken two seconds to think things through before appointing Zheng Luo as his provisional successor, then Yuzhen would have sung his praises from now until the end of time. However, being the bullheaded, idealistic idiot that he was, he appointed his successor based on merit alone, rather than taking the political climate into account, a fools mistake if there ever was one.

It didnt take long for the Colonel Generals to fall out with one another, and shortly after the Marshals were forced to follow suit lest they lose support from the greatest military minds of the Empire. Arguably second-to-greatest, now that Rain unveiled yet another hidden talent of his, scoring high marks in his first ever grand military campaign which warded off disaster with careful planning and near omniscient forethought. A shame he was out of commission now, because the Empire was wasting this valuable reprieve by squabbling amongst themselves. In Central, the Mitsue Family fortunes were fast declining as word spread far and wide of Hideos betrayal, the blame for which many whispered lay solely on Juichis shoulders. They would say that regardless of what truly happened, because it served the purposes of too many powerful people, but the aged Colonel General had yet to react. Rumour had it that Mitsue Juichi was back at his family home in fair Guangdong, locked away in his meditation room and seeing no visitors, not even his sons and daughters, but Yuzhen couldnt imagine who else might go calling on the fallen Living Legend in this time of duress.

In his absence, the uneasy balance of power had shifted between Centrals three Colonel Generals, and Yuzhen did not envy Marshal Yo Jeung-Huns plight. Ryo Dae Jung was determined to seize as much of Mitsue Juichis powerbase for himself, while Shuai Jiao was opposing him for the simple sake of self-preservation. The ascetic Living Legend cared not for politics and power games, but was now eagerly taking part because he now saw a future in which his hand alone guided Centrals blades, a much needed consolidation of power in these trying times, or so he believed. Thus far, it had yet to devolve into open bloodshed, but neither Colonel General was willing to give way for the other, and Yuzhen feared it would soon turn ugly.

To the south, Marshal Quyen Huong was having problems of his own, what with the untimely death of his Colonel General. Tiger Slayer Tran Hoang was perhaps the least famous of his peers, but according to Nian Zu, none of the Colonel Generals were so far above the others that victory was assured, yet Yuchun of the Ten Thousand Spears killed the highest ranking Southern Officer without taking injury himself before retreating from Castle Wulin. Despite their supposed antagonistic relationship, Tran Hoang was something of a respected enemy to Marshal Quyen Huong, one who kept his dogs tightly leashed and muzzled in these trying times, but with the Colonel General dead, his hounds had turn against each other. Various Southern factions were now vying to fill the vacancy, one which could only be confirmed by Falling Rain or the Southern Marshal himself, but neither one was forthcoming with an endorsement. Most were not as polite or farseeing as Tran Hoang had been, and rumour had it that some enterprising southern factions were hoping to fill the yet-to-be-vacated office of Southern Marshal at the same time.

Though it seemed petty to think this, Yuzhen was relieved to learn Quyen Huongs supposed iron grip over the Southern Province was not as firm as she once believed, because it made her feel better about the mess she herself had to deal with back home in the North.

Leave it to Situ Jia Ying to choose this time to depose the Clan Patriarch, instead of allowing Yuzhen to rebuild SuiHua harbour and blockade all routes north, whether it be by foot, ship, or submersible. Those damned submersibles and their damned cargo were a new source of frustration, but it was nothing compared to the strife within the Society. Jia Yings attempt to become the first ever Situ Clan Matriarch tore her clan in twain, with two-thirds of the elders following Chi Gans lead to stand with her, and the last third seceding with Rang Min. Only Martial Law kept them from each others throats, but their conflict had shattered the Societys longstanding unity. To outsiders, the Society of Heaven and Earth seemed like a monolithic organization who stood together no matter the foe, but only because each faction was guaranteed their own independence. When the Han Clan and Harmonious Unity Sect stood in support of Jia Ying, the other factions saw the three greatest powers of the Society work together to overthrow another faction leader and feared the worst.

If factions could unite together and overthrow the Situ Clan Patriarch, how long would it be before they set their sights onto the leaders of the lesser factions? This reason alone was enough for most of the lesser factions to throw their support behind Rang Min, but there were also plenty of Society adherents who simply saw an opportunity for profit. While Rang Min and Jia Ying clashed, there was always a chance for treasures to be spilled by the waysides, not to mention the opportunity to sell ones loyalties to the highest bidder.

None of which Yuzhen would give a faff about if not for the fact that the Societys infighting was disrupting her supply lanes. Whether it was travelling by sea or by land, any and all goods coming out of the North had to pass through the Society Headquarters before proceeding south to Central. With the larger powers vying amongst themselves, no one was keeping the less scrupulous adherents from lining their pockets with coin and supplies Yuzhen desperately needed to rebuild the damned harbour, and the constant shortages and losses were beginning to raise her ire. Usually, the various factions kept one another mostly honest, ostensibly because Society above all else, but more practically because no one wanted anyone else getting more than their fair share. Now, with everyone busy looking out for themselves, many a quiet deal had been struck as clans, sects, schools, and more plundered Imperial supplies in the name of bettering the Society. To make matters worse, if Yuzhen were to come down hard on the Society for their malfeasance, they would simply band together to present a united front against her, then go right back to their infighting once the outside threat was dealt with.

To think, there would come a time when she regretted having shed her status as an adherent of the Society...

On the bright side, all her woes led her to seek aid from other sources, which put her in touch with the Spring and Autumn Consortium. Shed met many of their representatives at various events with Rain, and though they were all middling merchants of Central, they were also common-born and therefore beholden only to coin and coin alone, a boon considering Yuzhen had more than enough to spare so long as it didnt get lost in someones pockets along the way. Curt and matter-of-fact Gwangjong was a Heaven-Sent blessing from above, providing her with the method and manpower needed to build a formidable sea wall to protect SuiHua harbour, while blunt and tactless Cixi stepped on everyones toes putting in four sturdy concrete piers in the time it previously took to build a single wooden one. Of course, the true brains behind the Spring and Autumn Consortium was the brilliant but awkward genius Cao Cuo who not only helped come up with these newfangled construction methods, but also revised all of the Consortiums logistical systems and recently did the same for Yuzhen. It was shocking how much time could be saved simply by better organizing how supplies were loaded and stored in order to optimize worker pathing, and this was merely one facet of the stuttering young mans revolutionary approach to logistics and storage.

Shame on Rain for keeping his consortium to himself. Shame.

Another stroke of good fortune was that the Enemy had yet to resume their attacks. Aside from Tiger Slayer Tran Hoangs unfortunate death, the withdrawal from the second line went about as well as could be expected. The castles were razed, the majority of soldiers safely returned, and for three weeks, the Empire saw neither hide nor hair of the Defiled, a much needed reprieve to rest and recuperate.

And so, for the thirty-first morning in a row, Yuzhen awoke to no news of Enemy armies on the horizon, civil war erupting in the outer provinces, or Imperial Justicars arresting Bekhai youngsters, and she gave thanks to the Mother Above for Her continued mercies. The only way the day could have started off better was if her beloved husband was there beside her, but the sun was already peeking over the horizon, which for Gerel, was hours too late to start the day. Her magnificent lion of a man had grown restless of late, his dark moods bleaker than ever before as he drove himself to exhaustion each and every single day. Throwing a modest shift over her naked frame, Yuzhen sauntered over to the window to drink in the sight of her husband hard at work, Demonstrating the Forms in the manor courtyard.

Yuzhen desperately wanted to say something to encourage the poor girl, not to mention Rains forlorn mother whod aged a decade in a month. Perhaps Baatar could cheer her up, but Yuzhen was at a loss, so she simply offered a hand to each and squeezed softly when they both accepted. They werent family, but they were close enough, and Yuzhen knew they would move Heaven and Earth to cheer her up if she were in the same straits.

Not if. When. Gerels death was inevitable fact, and odds were he would die long before her time was up.

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If Pride is the father of all sins, then Curiosity is probably the mother.

I keep glancing at the phone sitting on my desk, but I cannot bring myself to remove it. Its an oddity I cant ignore, an anomaly inside my Call Centre of the Void, and I keep trying to wrap my head around it. This all goes back to Emotion and Intent. I withdrew into myself, isolating my soul from my mind and body, alongside the world outside it, whether it be real, imagined, or made up. I tried interacting through a more comfortable medium, that of my long-forgotten bedroom from my previous life, but that experience was too real, too substantial, too undeniable for me to deal with. I wanted to cut myself off from the world, so I threw up a bunch of layers between us, layers which are embodied by the slow, call-centre workstation computer and headset which are my indirect connections to the outside world. Through this, I spoke to so many people and affected so many things before finally just using as a medium to divest my emotions, and when I turned it off, I closed the connection. No connection, no Heavenly Energy, no limited omniscience, and most importantly, no illusions to deceive me.

And then this goddamned smart phone showed up, willed into existence by my unwilling subconscious, or perhaps Zhen Shis malevolent machinations. I havent been doing any of this on purpose, but rather the Energy of the Heavens is doing it for me, its actions shaped by my Emotions and latent Intents. Its the same way it tells me everything I need to know, but not in so many words, just... sensations, and while Im not a hundred percent certain Im interpreting all this correctly, it just feels right. The computer is how I connect to the outside world, but the phone is how the outside world reaches me, a Keystone forged by the hopes and dreams I have yet to let go of. Its funny, technically, I could use the computer for both, but Keystones need clear separation of purpose, which is exactly what all these things are.

And now I cant stop checking my messages.

Huh. Thats new. There, under Mama Buns latest snoot selfie. Adorable. No, ignore that. Yuzhens here. Seems like Zhen Shi hasnt stopped playing his games. Also, I may have fucked up by convincing Zians mom to reveal her strength and save her son, since she was planning a coup against Rang Min I didnt know about at the time, which is... interesting to say the least, and has caused my favourite Marshal quite the headache. Wow. Thats a lot of baggage between Jia Ying and Rang Min, but Im not gonna touch that with a ten-foot pole. Poor Zian. Maybe I can help Yuzhen with more than just good vibes though, since theres someone else nearby struggling with a decision.

The message sent, I resist the urge to keep going through the phone and put it back down on the desk once more. Glass side up of course, so I wont miss a thing. It doesnt light up for every message, but important ones do, like when Mila was feeling really down this morning when she woke up, or last night when Yan was struggling to find the words to express her feelings. This is not what I would call severing ties, but I dont think Im quite ready to give everything up just yet, even if it might all be a lie. How about this: no more messages from random people. If I dont personally know them, then theyre blocked.

Baby steps.

Oblivion awaits.

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All good things must come to an end, which makes it all the more important to enjoy the journey while it still lasts.

Buoyed by this thought, she squeezed Lin-Lin and Sarnais hands once more. This will pass, she whispered, smiling as she glanced at Rain. Sooner or later, he will wake. This I believe. Meeting the others eyes, Yuzhen softly added, Do not give up hope.

Hope. That was all they had left, and precious little of it yet, but Sarnai and Lin-Lin both rallied their flagging spirits and nodded, if only to affirm their own belief to themselves. Maybe the grove will help, Lin-Lin said, and from the tone, Yuzhen could tell shed said it many times before but still didnt believe it. Or Daddy came up with something while we were travelling.

Maybe. That was the purpose of this little trip, one theyd put off for weeks for fear Rains condition would be revealed. Visit the supernatural bamboo grove and hope for a miracle. Failing that, the next best option was to find the Brotherhood and try and cajole their rooster into working his magic to try and wake Rain, but the Abbots whereabouts were still unknown and all their pooled contacts were unable to find him. Is the groundhog still plaguing your father? Catch it and I daresay Rain will wake in an instant just to cuddle the new beast.

That won Yuzhen a small smile from them both, but smiles that faded as they all glanced at Mama Bun, still standing on Rains lap and staring at his face. He loved that rabbit dearly, and if he could see her distress, it was hard to imagine he would ignore her, which meant there was little chance a tunnel-digging rodent would do any better.

When the carriage arrived at the Eastern Gate, Yuzhen bid them all farewell and stepped out of the still moving carriage. Her honour guard was there waiting, all mounted and carrying a spare horse for her to ride, but she spotted someone in the crowd that made her stop and stare. There he stood, casual as you please, Situ Rang Min in the flesh, his hands folded behind his back and nose pointed towards the sky. Though he met her eyes, he did not greet her, so Yuzhen mounted her horse and hoped no one saw her freeze. While she trotted away, Rang Min made the first move. We should speak, he Sent, still as haughty as ever. In private. I believe we have much to benefit from a discussion.

Leave it to Rang Min to make a plea for aid sound like a mutually beneficial arrangement. Yuzhen was of a mind to leave him hanging in the wind for his attitude alone, but a part of her would not allow it. At least hear what he has to say, the little voice in her head suggested. The Empire must stand united against the Enemy, else all we have done will be for naught.

Nodding more to herself than at Rang Min, Yuzhen Sent, My office. Come unseen. Much as she loathed Rang Min, she desperately needed to put an end to the Societys internecine struggles, and Situ Jia Ying had not seen fit to approach her, or even respond to Yuzhens none-too-subtle appeals for a meeting. Rang Min was all she had to work with, and while there was no chance she would stick her neck out and help him regain the seat of Patriarch, she could help him keep his dignity, or his dog life at the very least, and maybe even back him in forming a new faction of the Society. Better yet, perhaps she could invite the tiger into her den and take him on as a Lieutenant Marshal. The man was nothing if not frighteningly competent, and as Rain once said, Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.

A brilliant man, Falling Rain, and the Empire was lessened by his absence. He would be back though, this Yuzhen believed, because when it came right down to it, Core or no Core, Falling Rain was a Warrior born.

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