Clash of Alliances

by Pierre Dimaculangan

  ​“I need time. I need time to think this through,” said the Emperor painfully.

  ​“With all due respect, Your Majesty, I urge you to make a decision soon. We may miss our only chance to see this through. If we commit to this task, we must do it quickly,” said Shang Jian. The rest of the Scholars were becoming eager for something to happen. They have been lying in wait for too long and it was high time that the Ming took aggressive action.

  ​Away from the Scholars and the military officers, Emperor Zhu Youcheng spoke with Famin Jie in private.

  ​“I am not at all at ease with these propositions. I need reassurance that this course of action was indeed the wise one. With spiritual insight, Sage, can you tell me that allying with the Menggu to liberate Chaoxian is a proper course of action?” the Emperor asked worriedly.

  ​“I believe it is time that peace comes between the Middle Kingdom and the Menggu. If we can make peace with them, we can end many years of bitter resentment and conflict between our peoples. We need them whether we like it or not. You know this to be true in your heart,” Famin counseled to him. The Emperor closed his eyes and drew a deep sigh then paced around the room with hands behind his back.

  ​“Yes, I realize it. I admit that my pride was causing me to doubt and it has kept me from seeing the truth of the matter,” the Emperor confessed.

  ​“Reassure the Menggu Chieftain that you can be trusted. Reveal to him that this campaign would be of great equal importance to them as it is to us. Tell him of the Terukk’s deceit and all that had transpired here, and what would become of his own homeland should they be allowed to continue on their destructive path. The truth will be enough. As for the Wild Nuzhen…” Famin Jie frowned and looked down and hesitated for a moment. “I am afraid they have made a conscious decision to follow darkness by serving the Terukk. They know of the path they tread, yet they continue to walk upon it. Heaven does not bring punishment upon the people without ample warning. War will come to them since it is what they seek and they will realize their folly when all has been lost,” Famin Jie said. “I understand that you have doubts and fears, my Emperor. But remember your revelatory vision. There was good reason why you have been granted it and it means that you are now tasked with the monumental responsibility of leading this country away from the darkness. Fear nothing. Heaven goes before you.”

  ​“Very well,” the Emperor said under his breath. “I will send a special letter to Dayan Khan.”

  ​“If the Menggu refuse to accept, it will only be temporary. Sometimes, something drastic must occur before one finally decides to do the right thing,” added Famin Jie.

  ​To Dayan, the chieftain or “Khan” of the Menggu nation, the Emperor commissioned high-ranking Academician or Minor Martial Scholar emissaries to deliver the message. A light detachment of General Jin’s mounted commando units accompanied them. He carried with him an Imperial seal as proof of the Emperor’s sincerity in his desire to establish peace and form a military alliance. Such a letter from Emperor Hongzhi was a demonstration of humility and meekness that no other emperor in the Middle Kingdom had yet to exercise. In the letter to Dayan Khan, Chieftain of the Menggu Tribes:

  To Dayan Khan, the great Yuan Chieftain of the Menggu

  You, O great Khan are king of a great and mighty nation, the Northern Yuan of the Menggu. You have once expressed a desire to create and maintain a relationship of trust and mutual gain with the Ming Empire to share with its many blessings many have yearned for, but long has the Ming wrongfully denied your requests. Therefore it is my sincerest pleasure to grant your nation these privileges and more, and bestow upon you a status of equality and the Ming’s impartial regard for you and your people. Such an offer has never before been granted to any other nation but I am now choosing to offer it to you, esteemed Khan. Though our traditions and customs vary greatly, it is in our greatest interest for the great Menggu become an invaluable ally against the powers and principalities that threaten our lands and our people. For far too long, the Middle Kingdom warred against the Menggu. Now, I desire to call you friend.

  A great evil has reached our shores. They have desecrated the land and have brought chaos and darkness to the empire. In these devils we will find a common enemy greater than any other we have ever faced in history. I beseech you, Great Khan, to accept my proposal of friendship and mutual respect so that we may stand together against the Enemy, for they will surely come to take your land and enslave your people’s minds and bodies. We have resisted them once but soon they will return bringing their weapons and armies to conquer us all. Such subjugation would be unprecedented in all of history. They are very intelligent, cunning, and deceptive to the highest degree and have managed to turn many of my loyal people into Hanjians, traitors of the worst kind. Even as I now speak, the Wild Nuzhen ally with the Foreign Devils and amass against us from Chaoxian (Joseon). Now we fear they are turning their eyes upon your land and people. Join us, Great Khan, and together we can defeat the Wild Nuzhen and resist the Foreign Devils when they come. I write to you openly admitting our need for your aid. Will you accept my offer and create a powerful friendship that will last ten thousand years?

  ​Emperor Zhu Youcheng had not only proposed a truce between their peoples, but vouchsafed to hold the Menggu in equal regard as men, with a willingness to undo centuries of animosity, and therefore promising economic and political privileges rarely granted to nations with even the most loyal and handsome tributes.

  ​ It was an offer no reasonable man would refuse. To Emperor Zhu Youcheng, it was a great act of faith. He was putting Famin Jie’s advice of humility and meekness to the test. The emissary and the escorts rode north posthaste beyond the Great Wall, past the mountains to enter the vastness of the Northern Yuan steppe where the Menggu dominate the realm.

  ​To the young Commander-in-Chief of the Ashikaga military regime whom the people call “Sho-Gun”, he wrote a letter pledging full military support for the Ashikaga’s campaigns against the Terukk machinations and their puppet emperor. A promise was also made to strengthen ties between their two nations.

  To the Martial Commander (Shogun) of the Ashikaga of Riben (Nihon):

  The Foreign Devils continue to meddle in our affairs and have wreaked havoc among our peoples. I write to you expressing our desire to lend aid in your campaigns against the foreigners and all those whom they puppeteer to wage war against you. I desire to commit a generous portion of my army to aid you in crushing your enemies so that you may reclaim your kingdom. In exchange we request your reciprocation in the resistance against the devils in the mainland. We shall do likewise when they storm your beaches and attempt to lay siege upon your cities and castles. As we speak, the enemy rallies evil agents against us. Even now, the Underworld prepares to overthrow the Ming Empire in favor of the Enemy. Pirates native to your land have conquered Dayuen and prepare to launch an assault when the Foreigners begin their invasion. Together, Great Shogun, we will be a powerful fighting force unrivaled by all other nations in the world of men. We must defend our homes and our people. It is our divine duty, for we will answer to Heaven if we fail in our responsibility. Should we succeed, we will have forged a bond and a mighty alliance that shall be unshaken and unbroken for ten thousand years. Will you accept my invitation for a military alliance?

  ​Martial Scholar Zhang Sunzan was sent as an envoy to the Ashikaga’s military commander, Shogun Yoshitane. Zhang Sunzan’s knowledge of diplomacy and politics and communication would ensure that they reach an agreement.

  ​Not long after the emperor’s letter had been written, Zhang Sunzan embarked on his diplomatic mission on the Phoenix Spirit with a light escort of warships and set a course full sail to the east around the southern tip of Nihon. The land of Riben had long been branded a rebellious “sibling”, a troubled child in the eyes of the Ming and of Chaoxian. It was a nation driven by the culture of an elite warrior caste where the commoners and peasants were often pushed aside or downtrodden. Zhang Sunz
an found them quite paradoxical, given that the people of Riben had adopted much of the Middle Kingdom’s culture including architecture, philosophy, and written language. To him, they were an eccentric people in a land of stark contrasts and extremes. What was most fascinating however, was their competence on the battlefield. Their passion for fighting and their fanatical attitudes toward honor and duty had made them legendary on the battlefield. “Sa-mu-rai” was what they named their warrior caste, and in few days’ time, Zhang Sunzan was scheduled to meet with their young commander-in-chief. He would be sure to take great care with his words and to observe all necessary rituals, ceremonies, and honorifics. The Wo people of Riben valued tradition and ritual to the highest degree. Indeed, they were a culture of contrasts.

  ​He stood on the deck of the Phoenix Spirit, looking to the Eastern horizon where the sea met the sky, and he closed his eyes to savor the peace he knew would not last. The ship gently oscillated, swayed, and rolled with the waves. A fierce image of a golden phoenix was displayed on the ships prow, and it plowed through the waves with majesty. The smaller escort ships that sailed nearby appeared to be toys, tossed around by the mountains of water. Mist and foam spattered over the deck and showered over some of the men. Some of the waves were large enough to tower over the masts until the ship could climb to its crest and descend into a dive over to the other side. Many of the crew who manned the Phoenix Spirit were comprised of veteran sailors who had once served in the Ming navy, but even they eventually felt nauseated with the continuous oscillation. A strong wind blew strongly to the east, carrying the ship with great speed, pushing its large battened sails to full flex. The large vessel creaked and moaned but its flat bottom and keel glided over the rough seas with ease. The modified tiller, connected to a uniquely designed rack and pinion, had to be locked in place to keep the waves from turning the rudder.

  ​“Are we making good time, comrade?” asked Zhang Sunzan as he approached the uniformed man standing erectly near the ship’s helm. He observed the waves as they seemed to swallow the ship.

  ​“At this rate, we will arrive in Riben in half the time. I have never experienced a westerly wind this strong in my career. It almost seems… unnatural,” said Ah’Chung as he scratched his head. Ah’Chung was one of the few Academicians with experience in the Ming military, and there were even fewer from those within the navy. He had joined their League’s cause after leaving the navy due to his dissatisfaction with its governance.

  ​“It seems that even the wind favors our cause,” Zhang joked.

  ​“Indeed it does!” the Ah’Chung agreed. “You know, Scholar Zhang, I love the land. I enjoy the sight of vast plains, majestic mountains, and awe-inspiring river valleys. But, there is an allure to the sea that I cannot explain. Its sheer vastness is like a taste of eternity pulling me into itself. I’m always drawn to the sea; it’s why I joined his majesty’s navy. Alas, I spent most of my time navigating the Grand Canal rather than sailing into the unknown. I think my passion was inherited from my father. It’s been years since I last seen him. He set sail on his small merchant ship with my mother to start a new life in the isle of ‘Lusong’ in the tropics of the southeastern sea. I wonder if they still even live.”

  ​“Indeed I can appreciate the mysterious allure of the sea—it seems to promise the thrill of adventure for whoever ventures beyond the horizon. However, I would not fear so much for your parents. They will be pleasantly surprised to find communities of their fellow Han in Lusong’s kingdoms. I assume though, that such circumstances make it difficult to fulfill your filial duties as a son,” Zhang Sunzan replied.

  ​“Alas, I cannot simply set sail to see them and care for them. It certainly does cause me to feel like an unfilial son. But now I have a duty to my wife and newborn daughter. They’re my world now,” said Ah’Chung.

  ​“I sense you may yet have a chance to see your parents not long now,” consoled Zhang Sunzan.

  ​“This ship is a very good ship, and I’ve never seen a Fuchuan this unique. The guns, I may add, look rather exceptional,” said Ah’Chung trying to change the emotionally-sensitive topic.

  ​Zhang Sunzan chuckled with pride. “It was scheduled to burn in one of the naval yards but we’ve friends in special places that salvaged it on our behalf many years ago. I was hesitant to add even more guns considering the ship already sported sixteen. The Headmaster however, is quite fond of this vessel and insisted on adding another eight to the top deck. ‘You can never be overly prepared,’ he said. The cannons are all new, the latest in forging, casting, and metallurgy. Add a few repairs, some adjustments, and several unique upgrades and we have the Phoenix Spirit—the fastest and strongest ship outside the Ming navy.” He held his head high with his response.

  ​“Very good, very good. Cannons on the top deck can be a bit hazardous, but I suppose it’s alright if the carriages are secured,” said Ah’Chung.

  ​The ship’s flat bottom glided and rode over the towering waves with grace as if the heavy warship itself was eager to reach Riben.

  In the Bowels of the Underworld

  ​The tunnels seemed to go on forever. They snaked far beneath the ground branching off into chambers, halls, and corridors of packed earth and carved stone, but she did not like the tunnels one bit. It left very little room for movement and left even less for escape routes and sheer breathing room. She could not complain, however. These very tunnels had served her predecessors for many hundreds of years and it was where her father and grandmother had climbed to the top of the ladder of hierarchy within the Shan Gui, the Ghosts of the Mountain. They have long been branded fanatics—a clan of terrorists both unseen and untouchable. In truth, most of them were nothing more than peasants, just farmers and fishermen by day but lethal shadows in secret, in the dark. Their reputation across the land amused her and she laughed at the growing superstitious fear the people have long fostered concerning their existence. Many claim they were able to fly or move at superhuman speeds. The world was stupid. The Shan Gui had grown legendary across the Middle Kingdom and many have grown fearful of their tricks, labeling them as the result of dark magic and sorcery of sorts. Well... they were not tricks.

  ​For almost a thousand years, the Shan Gui existed in shadow on the fringes of civilization, often disguised as simple commoners when having to blend with the society that dwelt in the daylight. Those who began the Shan Gui were nothing more than down-trodden citizens who constantly found themselves in the path of warlords, bandits, and hostile factions. No longer wishing to be the victims, the farmers united in a way that changed their futures forever. They adopted a path of violence and immersed themselves into the taboo combative and spiritual arts while living defiantly in hostile opposition to all who were not of the Shan Gui. It was not long until they became the largest and most feared organization of the Underworld.

  ​Fa Lien, otherwise known by her clan name as White Wasp, continued through the tunnel until it opened up into a large assembly hall deep beneath the mountain where several thousand shadow warriors wearing the badge of the Shan Gui assembled to hear her address. This gathering was the first in a very long time, for today celebrated a special occasion. Hundreds of torches and flaming lamp stands illuminated the hall on the left and right. They bathed the compacted earth and stone with a fiery yellow-orange light that created a soft silhouette that outlined her slender yet curvaceous figure. Her dark robes extended over her hips and legs and danced with each stride. Her tall leather boots produced a steady tap tap as they lightly stepped onto the rocky dirt. She climbed the ladder that led into a high wooden platform while the chromium twin sabers strapped to her back glistened with what little light could reflect upon them. She donned a faceless mask of ivory-white before proceeding to address the legion below. As she stepped forward onto the platform, the warriors of their high caste stood at attention and in unison shouted:

  ​“Hail, hail, White Wasp, chief commander of the Shan Gui!” Their voices boomed from the hall and
echoed into the tunnels. She gestured for them to stand at ease and the stomps of three thousand boots upon the ground reverberated through the stale air. She looked upon them with pride like a mother to her children. She greatly anticipated what was to come.

  ​“The time has come for us to behold the coming of an age, for the very foundations of civilization shall be shaken with great severity. We have been chosen to take seats of power and privilege in this New World Order! Rise, rise from the shadows!” The warriors cheered and roared with her announcement. From the shadowy corner of the platform, a special guest stood from his seat and stepped foot into the light where even the illumination of the flames could not alter the hue of his pale skin. He was very tall and ornately dressed in fine robes and ceremonial armor of unknown metals. Though he spoke to the legion in a foreign tongue, they understood every single word, and Fa Lien was mesmerized by it.

  ​Some weeks after the Pale Ones had established relations with her people, Fa Lien observed the preparations necessary to prepare for the great revolution. It was a momentous time in history, and she was proud to be at the very heart of it, participating in the creation of a new world. Several of her highest-ranking warriors barked orders throughout their stronghold and their voices could be heard echoing across the halls and wide-open spaces that ran through their underground city. The armies of the Underworld, nearly one hundred thousand, had rallied together and were now making their way into the Shang Gui’s deep underground city. The Pale Ones who had guaranteed her the fulfillment of her order’s ancient goals observed their preparations from the shadows, but to Fa Lien’s dismay, they were leaving the preparations in the hands of Liu Jin, the corrupt puppet eunuch along with his seven fellow conspirators who had been ousted from the emperor’s palace. Despite this, she wanted to trust the Pale Ones. The Terukk were fascinating creatures whose grisly pale appearances were further emphasized by their towering statures. Fa Lien observed them with wonder and excitement and she could feel the power of their presence wandering through the tunnels and passageways.