The Emperor's Prey

by Jeremy Han

  When he recovered sufficiently to walk unassisted, his presence was requested. They had been patient with him. They had lots of time anyway. It would be weeks before they even reached their first destination. Zheng’s chamber was the biggest on the fleet, so he had a living area for meetings and discussions. The room was plushly decorated with objects from all over the region. Skins of wild animals hung on the wall. The room was cool as they entered it, the wooden roof effectively keeping the sun out. Jian Wen was sitting inside with Zheng He and when Zhao entered the room, Jian Wen got up. Immediately, Zhao fell onto his knees,

  “Majesty!”

  “Stand up. I am a monk, as I have been telling you.” Jian Wen held his hand out and Zhao stood up. Then he added, “Are you well?”

  “Yes Majesty. Thank you for saving our lives.”

  Zhao looked at the grand admiral. It was the first time he met him and he was impressed with what he saw. The admiral looked every bit as impressive as he was said to be. He was tall and muscular, resplendent in the red uniform of a grand admiral. But his eyes were kind. Zhao bowed his head, deeply grateful for the risk taken by Zheng He.

  “Thank you, Lord. Thank you for saving us.”

  Zheng He raised a hand, “It was nothing compared to the sacrifices you and your men had paid to save his Majesty.”

  Zheng He’s voice was soft but deep. It was unlike the effeminate eunuchs with squeaky voices that occupied the palaces. Zheng He turned to the former emperor. He got onto his knees.

  “Majesty, please forgive me for my role in Yong Le’s army. I repaid your kindness with evil.”

  The monk held his hand and raised him up. “There is nothing to forgive. You are a eunuch, how could you say no to your emperor? Moreover, through the mysterious turn of events, are you now not in a position to save us? Do not regret the past Sanbao. Life has its own mysteries that are unfathomable. Just remember to do good whenever you can.”

  Turning back to Zhao, Jian Wen said softly,

  “Tell us what happened to Fu Zhen that night?” Zhao was silent for a while as he recalled the small man who was as steadfast as the tallest mountain in the face of adversity. He recounted the fight. “He fought to the end. Facing an enemy who was relentless, he could have retreated and saved his own life, but he knew that I needed him. I asked him to go but he refused. He held the enemy’s blade with his bare hands until I came but it was too late for him.” He paused, “His last words were, ‘I am not a Farmer, I am a hero’”.

  A pregnant pause, “He wants us to remember that.”

  His voice trailed off as the ache in his heart overwhelmed him. Li Jing teared openly. The Farmer was his best friend. The one who kept silent and bore his temperaments as they went through thick and thin, the one who watched his back in combat: his buddy. And now he was dead.

  Jian Wen addressed Li Jing.

  “Li Jing, your daughter saved my life. Standing before Ji Gang, she could have ran. In fact, I asked her to, but she stood in front of me and threw the dagger at him. That was courage beyond expectation.”

  Li bowed his head in fatherly pride.

  “To honour her and you for your great deeds, and to ensure that she will be well treated where we are going to go, I intend to adopt her as my daughter. And hence forth, in the land where we will settle, let her be accorded the status and protection due to a princess. Let her not experience the life of an itinerant performer again. She deserves a lot more than that.” He paused, then added,

  “Zheng He, would you see to it? Let it be known that a princess of the Ming had arrived with your fleet and expects to receive the due courtesy.”

  The admiral bowed. Jian Wen nodded his head. The next task would be a sad one. Jian Wen shook his head and sighed. He did not know what to say. How could one explain one’s karma, especially if others paid the price for you? What of their karma then? Was it their destiny to die for him? Where was the fairness? Who lived, and who died; it was a great mystery indeed.

  He spoke softly, “Let us honour the dead for their heroism.”

  On Zheng He’s table, there was a tray and six cups of wine on it. Jian Wen raised the first to toast the dead,

  “To Wen Xuan: Who taught us that honour and integrity are more important than life.” He poured the cup of wine onto the floor.

  To Fang Xiaoju: Whose faithfulness did not waver despite great sorrow. If not for him, we would not have made it thus far.

  To Long and Yula: Beloved friends whom we will never see again.

  To Khun Sa: Whose friendship would never be forgotten because he died for his friends.

  And to Fu Zhen...he paused as emotions choked him, “A hero among heroes.”

  Then the monk-emperor poured the last cup of fragrant wine onto the floor, a toast to the glorious dead.

  Epilogue

  1435

  Reign of the Emperor Zheng Tong,

  Great-grandson of the Emperor Yong Le

  As soon as the ship docked and the gangways secured, Ji Gang stepped off the boat. The sun was blazing and he lifted one hand to shield his eyes from the glare. The climate here was hot year round because it was close to the equator. Back in the empire, it was still cold. He felt sticky. As he walked along the crowded and busy pier, he noticed that most people were dark skinned. Even the Han people were darker here than back home. After talking to some people, he learnt what he needed and set off in the direction given.

  As he walked, he noticed that the architecture was also different. Surprisingly, some of the buildings looked like the Qingjing Si in Quanzhou. He remembered they were mosques, the ones with the ‘onion’ on top, he remarked to himself. After asking for directions a few more times, he walked toward a forested area. There were less people here as he got away from the harbour town. It was the smoke that gave it away, then the smell. Incense. Ji found the place he was looking for and headed toward it. The structure of a Buddhist temple took shape.

  Jian Wen, much older in body, but much more alert in spirit, sensed Ji’s approach. He was sitting in a lotus position, meditating until he felt someone encroach onto his peace. He could feel the man’s approach but kept his breathing calm. There was no need to be afraid. What would happen would happen. So the old monk kept his eyes closed and continued to meditate. Ji Gang kneeled before Jian Wen, “Majesty.”

  “Lord Ji, I am a monk. Please do not associate me with something as mundane as the Dragon Throne.” Jian Wen replied without opening his eyes.

  “You may choose the path of a monk, but the Dragon’s blood flows in you. That is undeniable.”

  Jian Wen nodded without opening his eyes, acknowledging that physical fact. The lips moved, “Are you here to kill me?”

  “No Majesty.”

  “Why?”

  “Because your uncle has returned to his forefathers, the present emperor does not wish you harm.”

  “If you do not wish to kill me, then why are you here?”

  “Majesty, I came to seek your forgiveness. No one should ever attempt to shed the blood of the Son of Heaven. Not even the Dong Chang.”

  “You were under orders. You had no choice.”

  “Yes Majesty. Only his Majesty can order the blood of another member of the House of Zhu. Now I am here to tell you that the feud is over. The Dong Chang will never pursue you again.” Then Ji asked him, “Will you return to the Ming?”

  The monk shook his head. “When I ascended the Dragon Throne, I thought I had the power to bring an end to my grandfather’s harsh laws. That, to me was the purpose of sitting on the throne. Now, the people are well taken care of, it does not matter to me who is the emperor. In fact, if what you say is true, then it is better that I do not return so that there will be peace in the empire. Let the historians record that I am dead.”

  “I will do as you say, Majesty.” Ji replied with a tinge of disappointment.

  Jian Wen sensed the frustration and knew there were some more things Ji wanted to say. “Speak your heart Ji. You came all the way to
tell me something, don’t waste your journey.”

  “The Yong Le emperor died long time ago and his son took over taking the imperial title of Hong Xi. Hong Xi liberalised the laws to prepare for a reign that no longer depended on cruelty. He also abolished Zheng He’s voyages. But he died within a year. His son Zhu Zhanji took over as the Xuan De emperor. He reinstated Zheng He’s voyages to continue to extol the glories of the Ming as established by his ancestors. Xuan De, like his father, believed in a benevolent rule. He pardoned many who were victims of mistrial and he commissioned an inquiry to wipe out corruption among his officials. His reign was a golden age. But now his son, the eight year old prince Zhu Qizhen had been crowned the Zheng Tong emperor.”

  Jian Wen digested the news. “A child-emperor?” That was unprecedented. It was a dangerous development; this would open the door for challengers to the throne. It was Ji’s way of telling him that something needed to be done, if he did not want to come back and claim the throne himself. Ji Gang had thought that the monk would bring stability to the realm again if he sat on the throne.

  Ji hesitated, “A man by the name of Zhu Wenkui has surfaced.”

  Jian Wen opened his eyes slowly. “My eldest…son.” Ji Gang was indirectly telling him that this Zhu Wenkui was involved in a challenge to the throne.

  “Yes, Majesty.” Ji replied firmly.

  The monk said the obvious but unspeakable truth, “And the Dong Chang is after him.”

  Ji nodded gravely, “Behind the façade of prosperity and stability, the Empire is in trouble. The Dong Chang believes this Zhu Wenkui is being made used to stir trouble. Hidden powers are at work against the boy emperor, powers that will shake the stability of the country and bring turmoil on its people.”

  “Then whoever he is, and whoever is making use of him, must be stopped.” Jian Wen said no more.

  Ji Gang was amazed the monk did not plead for the life of his supposedly alive son but put the people above his own family. He bowed low, his forehead touching the ground, the way one would bow to the Son of Heaven. Once he had hunted this man, now he respected him. Then he got up and left. He headed back toward the town but just before reaching it, he veered into another track. He followed the instructions of those he spoke to earlier, when he asked them where he stayed. The man he was seeking was crucial; beside the monk, he was the real reason why Ji sailed all the way to the south. Here, the houses were distinctly local. There was no trace of Han culture and architecture. The locals did not pay much attention to him as he passed through a village. Then he saw an open field. In it, a group of people were gathered around one man. The man looked older; Ji Gang had expected that. But the man was every bit still as powerful, as he taught youths a martial art styled after the tiger. Ji was in no hurry so he stood to a side and watched. For awhile he wondered what it was like to take disciples, to stop being the empire’s guard dog, to retire. I’m so tired…. But he had another mission and this man’s help would be invaluable, provided he would even consider aiding Ji without killing him first. After the demonstration, the youths broke into groups to practice what they just learnt. Their guru ‘teacher’, turned and saw Ji. The recognition was instant. Ji approached him. The guru’s eyes never left the bald man walking toward him. Ji walked casually, and as though to fan himself in the hot weather, he flicked open his iron fan. The guru slowly clenched his fist.

  Back at the temple, Ji’s words remained uncomfortably in Jian Wen like an undigested meal. Monk or not, he was human. The temptations of the throne he could shed, but the memory of his first-born he could not. Zhu Wenkui…my son….alive and in danger. Jian Wen closed his eyes and for a moment, remembered the scene of the night he escaped. Don’t leave me Father…Please! The long-lost voice echoed crystal clear with a guilty familiarity. The image of his pleading, two year-old son and the desperate look of those he left to die pierced his heart as though it was only yesterday. He remembered every one of them. He would be thirty five years now…if he lives. Jian Wen had to know. And there was only one man he could trust to uncover the truth and save his son.

  But would he go on a last mission for his emperor?

  The End.

  Notes to the story

  The Jian Wen emperor, Li Po and Zhao Qi remain a mystery to this day. Historians could not put their stories together due to the lack of records so what remains to this day are mostly rumours and hearsays.

  This story is fiction; it is an attempt to piece together various pieces of the puzzle to entertain. Nevertheless, I will explain the different pieces of the puzzle and how it all contributed to make the story a plausible one.

  1. It is said that there are temples in Southeast Asia dedicated to the Emperor Jian Wen. Who built them and how it became dedicated to the emperor, no one knows. This fuels the speculation that Jian Wen escaped to Southeast Asia as a monk after his uncle’s coup.

  2. There was a princess Li Po who was married off to the Sultan of Malacca around 1456. Although this story took place more than twenty years earlier than the recorded marriage, I included her into the story because of the mystery surrounding the ‘historical’ Princess Li Po. In the meticulously kept official Ming records, there was never a Li Po recorded to be born into the House of Zhu, the royal family of the Ming. Who was Li Po really? Some sources say she was a maid from Yong Le’s (1405) court, which placed her in the time frame of Jian Wen’s escape while others say that she was sent during the reign of the Tianshun emperor (1457).

  3. Speculation surrounds a legendary warrior who appeared in Southeast Asia around the time the mysterious Princess Li Po arrived. He was said to practice a set of martial arts that was not seen before in Southeast Asia and whose duty was to protect the princess. The Malays hailed him as a folk hero, a model of loyalty, honour and martial skill but recent scholarship suggests strongly that the man might have originated from China. Until today, the identity of Hang Tuah, the legendary warrior venerated by the Malays as a folk hero, remains a controversy. Zhao Qi was modelled after this character.

  3. There is widespread speculation on Jian Wen’s fate after Yong Le captured Nanjing in 1402. Most did not believe the official records stating that Jian Wen and his empress died in the burning of his palace. He was reportedly seen in several temples in remote parts of the empire after his fall from grace. Some of the places where he was reported to be seen include Sichuan, Guangxi and Yunnan, all places that were considered remote and ‘uncivilised’ during the time of the Ming. At the temple of refuge, he reportedly cried everyday facing the direction of Nanjing to mourn the loss of his throne.

  4. Zheng He’s voyages were speculated to hold a secondary mission: to find the Jian Wen emperor and bring him back to Beijing. The fact that the eunuch launched seven voyages would hint that if that was indeed his mission, he never managed to find the emperor. The secret relationship between the eunuch and the emperor is purely a figment of my imagination. However, I often wondered how Jian Wen could ever reach the southern seas? It had been recorded that Zheng He was a capable and ruthless man in dealing with the emperor’s enemies in the coastal kingdoms. Could he miss the emperor if it was truly his mission to find him? I thought that by making the emperor hide in plain sight and by giving him such high-profile conspirator would make the story more enjoyable. For the purpose of story-telling, I made the Zheng He in the story younger than he was in real life.

  5. There are rumours that imperial agents actually found Jian Wen, but after speaking to him, they let him go, having been ‘converted’ by the wisdom and benevolence of the emperor.

  6. After Jian Wen was disposed, the Yong Le emperor embarked on a serious campaign to eradicate Jian Wen’s supporters. This tells us that the former emperor had a great following and the leading members of society and government actually embraced his reign more than history is allowed to tell us.

  7. Cannibalism in ancient China was not unknown. It was recorded in ancient medical texts that the eating of certain human parts was beneficial to health. More ex
treme and darker tales tell of macabre practices like the drinking of children’s blood to preserve one’s youth as was practiced by the Marquis in the story. Another common but terrible and misguided practice was the belief that sex with a virgin would enhance a person’s qi.

  8. The Qingjing Si or the Great Mosque of Quanzhou still stands. It was really put under the protection of the Yong Le Emperor in 1407. The plaque with the inscription of the emperor’s orders is still there.