act49side

<p=1>Year 962</>

This is as far as we can go, Your Imperial Majesty.

You are the only one in all of Yan who may enter the room beyond this door.

It is but a door. There is no need to be so fearful.

It conceals Yan's greatest secret, and its greatest asset, Your Imperial Majesty...

...Is that so?

The seventeen-year-old True Lung walks down the last few steps.

He looks back at the three Grand Ministers behind him, who are still bowing deeply. He frowns and pushes the door open.

He has heard about what lies behind the door. The legends and stories of this ancient nation that have been passed down through the centuries—

'The Earth's blessings have granted this stone to its people; the Heaven's blessings shall bring an end to Sui.'

Some say that the prosperity of Yan comes from it. Others say the True Lung's authority is merely borrowed from it.

But no one has seen it with their own eyes in nearly a century.

The ascending True Lung is filled with excitement, his fingertips trembling.

Everything in the land of Yan shall obey him, for the prosperity of Yan—

...So will one small crystal.

He pushes the door open.

As ambitious as he is, he could not help but stop before the massive space and blinding light.

It is not the first Originium itself, but man-made additions upon it, the limiters and guidance that generations after generations of Tianshis have placed upon it over the centuries.

<i>At the new capital of Baizao, a tomb was built to hold the vessel of Sui, and the consciousness of Sui was suppressed by the power of calamity. Yet the Emperor was not at ease, and so he sought counsel from the Tianshi Bureaus in hopes of keeping the peace for eternity hence.</i>

<i>Then the Emperor discovered the means to harness the power of calamity, but it would take the lives of a hundred Tianshis and ten thousand soldiers to form the blade and slay the beast. Even if complete success were achieved, Baizao would not be spared.</i>

<i>And the Emperor said, 'It is shameful to bring harm to the people for one's own purposes. I shall give up myself, and my descendants shall do the same, and not demand the sacrifice of the people.'</i>

<i>The True Lung passed the next year, and by it the enchantment was complete. The crown prince grieved and named it 'Bu Fan'.</i>

...<i>Bu Fan,</i> 'No Rebellion'. Sounds like 'No Return' too.

My ancestor sacrificed himself and made the reigning True Lung the subject of future human sacrifice. Henceforth, the True Lungs that came after him gave their lives to harness the power of this Originium.

I would not have known it was so massive if I did not see it for myself...

Yet it's no more than a tiny crystal compared to all of Yan and Yan's future.

Yan could have done much more with this object.

How much energy have we spent on suppressing the sleeping beast? With such energy, how many armies could we have raised, how many machines could we have built?

How could I tolerate such... inaction?

The True Lung lingers before the facility for a while. He has gotten used to the scorching light, and even starts to feel... boring.

A smile comes to his face as he remembers the reverence on his three Grand Ministers' faces. How will he deride their timidity when he leaves the room without being rude?

He recalls the 'rule' that kept the ministers out, for him to face this structure alone.

The rule that inextricably links it to his life.

He could not help but laugh.

The True Lung's authority over all under heaven, tied to a tiny crystal like this?

I am still inexperienced. I will be relying on the three of you for many things.

Yan has been peaceful and prosperous for centuries. Why is it that there are still rebellions?

Is there still land where the blessings of Yan do not touch? Or seditious subjects who will not submit to imperial rule?

Silence.

I will decide myself, then, as you do not answer.

The blessings of Yan shall touch every corner, so that not a single person shall worry for food or shelter. The teachings for Yan shall reach every heart, so that not a single rebellious thought will enter the mind of a single man.

We shall vanquish the northern traitors and build the nomadic city of Baizao. Both are the foremost priority, and neither shall be delayed.

You shall summon the Six Ministries, discuss the specifics, and deliver a proposal by the end of the month.

Dismissed.

The trio on the other side of the curtain bow in assent and leave.

A little later...

Ah, you have arrived.

...It is an honor, Your Imperial Majesty.

I've long heard of the twelve 'extraordinary talents' of Yan, credited with no small number of achievements for the empire. I've been curious for some time.

I therefore perused the Sui Regulator's archives, and found something rather interesting.

Be it reports of triumph, or suspicious activities...

No name has been mentioned more often than yours.

But I see your visage is not as terrifying as the rumors claim.

Why has Your Imperial Majesty summoned me?

They call you the most cunning strategist in all Yan.

How do you propose to resolve the two great obstacles we face?

The northern rebellion is hardly a major threat. The rebels may be influential in their local area, but they are powerless to expand. Nevertheless, it would be inadvisable to allow them to consolidate their position.

Fifty-thousand soldiers and six months' worth of rations will be sufficient to defeat them.

Your estimate is much more optimistic than the Ministry of War... but I have more reason to trust your judgment on this.

What about the other matter?

As for the modification of Baizao into a nomadic city... I understand the Ministry of Works has validated the engineering principles. The only issues are funding, supplies, and...

...the Tomb of Sui beneath Baizao.

Yes. You understand the problem.

It is for this that I have summoned you.

How do you intend to eliminate Sui?

If you are familiar with the scrolls of the Sui Regulator... you understand that 'we' were the same and one as Sui, and our fates intermingled.

Do you mean to ask how to kill 'us'?

It is only 'Sui' that Yan is concerned about, and no other being.

You understand, of course, the price that Yan paid for the hunt that occurred centuries ago.

The price that must be paid, if Yan is to force the issue, is seven-tenths of its armies, one-tenth of its population, and fifty years of unceasing unrest.

If that is the case, Yan will be in no position to ensure the safety of the twelve of you.

The proxy looks up and meets the gaze of the man behind the curtain.

I am determined to cleanse Yan of this thousand-year bane. I am not afraid to pay the price—any price.

The Sui will be destroyed. The tremendous energy that was used to suppress that beast shall be reutilized to build a hundred cities and ten thousand battleships, and usher in another thousand years of prosperity for Yan.

I had hoped that there would be a place for the twelve of you in Yan's future prosperity, on account of your past deeds. It is regrettable.

If your decision to eliminate Sui comes from practical judgment, rather than reckless pursuit of glory...

...I may have a way.

Oh?

The twelve of us were one and same as Sui. We were destined to fade, whether It awakes or is destroyed.

But it is possible that I could... replace It.

How sure are you?

I will need time...

The young man behind the curtain points at the courtyard outside.

That ginkgo sapling was planted in the spring of this year.

The Ministry of Works swore an oath in this hall several days ago that the rebuilding of Baizao into a nomadic city will be complete before the tree bears fruit.

Twenty years. That is the time you have.

That is too little time.

I am not here to bargain.

Immortality has made you arrogant. Perhaps you have forgotten that mortals do not have many 'twenty years'.

Yan cannot wait, and neither can I.

You're the new Candleholder? So much time has passed, in the blink of an eye.

Has the previous Candleholder...

She retired last month, and asked me to tell you not to worry.

I will take over your communications with the Sui Regulator from now on.

Well, you'll have your hands full.

Most Candleholders have to worry about tracking down my free-roaming siblings. As for mine...

They have to sit in this office all day, handling books and scrolls. They are more like secretaries than Candleholders.

I enjoy reading and writing. This is right up my alley.

Perfect.

What's your name?