Two Nations.
A few days later, the King summons the General early in the morning.
Eunuch Song runs into the General's residence and announces his own arrival since the General does not have someone attending him except for a few servants.
"Your Highness," he calls from outside.
The General shifts on his bed and slowly opens his eyes. He winches as the pain on his chest hits him. He sits up groggily. The bandages on his chest are red with his blood but he just ignores it. The wound on his chest is too deep that it still bleeds even after been treated by the physician twice.
The General slowly stands up and opens the door, "Eunuch Song?"He opens the door wider and steps outside.
"Your Highness, forgive me to have disturb you this early but the King has an urgent matter that needs your attendance," Eunuch Song says with a troubled expression.
The General looks pale and weak but he could not deny the King's request. "Alright, give me a few moments," the General says and he goes back into his room. He changes the bandages and wears his formal robe and he looks charming for someone that just woke up with a pale complexion. He's always in his sport clothes or his armour that sometimes I forgot that he's a Prince and right now he looks exactly like the 'King' except there are no delicate features on his face just like a prince should be. He's just so restrain and have too little expressions.
He steps out quickly and calls Eunuch Song, "Let's go."And I follow him behind, as always.
As we reach the Main Hall, the King is sitting on the throne and the Royal Advisor stands near him.
There's another person kneeling in front of the King and he's wearing a foreign clothes.
Since the General still weak, he just walks slowly and as soon as the King sees him, the King's expression changes. It's almost a week had passed since the incident and they had never meet each other since that day. The King had never visited the General when he was lying unconscious in his bed for two days and the General had never mentioned about the King either.
The General kneels and greets the King. The King looks at the General with an icy cold stare. There's a long silence before the King greets the General back that I feel awkward just by looking them.
The General stands up and lowers his head. He glances at the person that's kneeling besides him and then his expression turns ugly but he does not speak a word.
The King clears his throat and speaks with a cold tone, "I believe you are familiar with this person's attire, General." The General nods his head slightly.
"He's a messenger from the Ming and he brings a letter from their Emperor," as soon as the King introduces the person I feel my heart beats faster.
'Why would a Ming dares to step into our Nation?' I look at the General and his jaw tightens. He spends most of his life fighting with the Mings and even put under scrutiny after his confrontation with the Commander and his hatred towards them piled up because of that.
"Apparently they want to build peace with our Nation!" The King says with an amusement on his face. "And I find the reason to be hilarious. Do you want to hear the reason, General?"
Before the General could answer the King speaks, "They say that we have a very astounding General that leads thousands of capable and brave soldiers. The Emperor acknowledges your ability of commanding the soldiers and he believes that with you being the General, they will never be able to defeat us so they wish for being in peace with us and hoping for mutual benefits of prosperous Nations by building a business tie."
The King looks unpleasant by the letter's content that it shows on his face.
"You are able to unify two nations. You are indeed a prominent person." The King looks displeased since the words used by the Emperor were supposedly only for the King.
It clearly was intentional that the Emperor was trying to provoke the King.
Then the King says, "Alright, I'll allow them to come on one condition, they should bring no weapons. Tell your Emperor that I will welcome your people to come."
The General lifts his head and looks at the King to voice out his protest, "Your Majesty..." the King raises his hand as to tell he does not want to hear it.
The Ming stands and bids his farewell to the King and says that he will convey the King's reply to his Emperor as soon as he reaches his nation.
***
As soon as the Ming left the Hall the General inquires the King.
"Pardon me, Your Majesty, why would you agree to the Mings coming into our Nation? They are the most hypocrite people that I know. Their proposition is probably just their trick so that they could enter our Nation and who knows what they are planning to do after they have seen every corner of this Nation!"The General could not hide his suspicions towards the Mings.
The Royal Advisor interjects, "Your Highness, General Lee, the Mings had offered to make peace with our Nation after years of conflicts and even few wars we had engaged with. This is such a great chance to stop this war and we can plan for a better business strategy that can benefit our Nation. So instead of using the people's money on weapons, we better make them rich with food and a peaceful nation." He politely nods his head to the King as he had just spoken before the King.
The King ignores him and looks directly at the General, "The Emperor clearly tries to provoke me by using you." The Royal Advisor raises his eyebrows on the King's remarks while the General stays composed, since he had notices the Emperor's intention earlier than that. "I think they know about us more than I expected and they dare to use our relationship to provoke me?" The hint of annoyance flashes in his eyes. "They are making us into a joke. A business tie? Nonsense!" The King shouts and making the Royal Advisor flinches.
"I'll let them in and show them that we are not in the slightest afraid of them," the King huffs angrily.
The Enemies' Arrival.
Two weeks after the invitation to enter the country, the Ming envoys arrive in
the Nation.
The citizen run and hid inside their house when the envoys pass
through the city road.
The road becomes deserted and as they arrive in the Palace, all the Ministers that present in the Main Hall show their uncomfortable expression.
The General stands in front on the left side of the hall, facing the throne, his jaw tightens and his hand is gripping his sheathed sword rather tightly.
The envoys walk into the Main Hall and stop right in front the throne. They greet the King lightly.
One of the Ming steps forward and looks at the King directly, "King Lee, I'm Commander Zu, I lead the soldiers in my country and you can also consider me the chief of this envoy," he introduces himself arrogantly.
The General looks at him displeased, "Watch your manner, you are speaking to the King of this Nation," he warns him.
The Commander looks at the Commander and smirks then he shifts his attention to the King, "Oh, apologise my behaviour because I only bow to My Emperor," his remarks make the Ministers gasp with disbelieve.
"I adore your loyalty," the General says, "but remember, you are in our territory and you are our guest, so behave like one," the tension arises.
Then the Royal Advisor steps forward, "Please excuse my interruption, General Lee and Commander Zu" he nods slightly to both of them, "This meeting is a very special occasion. We are building a better relationship where we were once enemies. We would not want any uncomfortable situation during our discussion on this delightful matter, wouldn't we?"
The General looks intensely at the Commander then diverts his attention stands back at his position facing the throne. The Commander grins at the General's reaction, "Of course, of course not. We come with peace." He opens his hands widely and make a turn, "We even followed your request to no weapon."
The King who has been silent then finally speaks, "I'm flattered to hear the Commander of the Ming kindly follows our request. I hope you do not feel troubled by such arrangement since the main reason for this gathering is solely for peace, is it not?"
The Commander clasps both his hands and forms a thin smile, "Yes, of course, King Lee. I understood perfectly. I think we can continue our discussion later," his gestures at the other envoys, "My brothers are tired from the long journey. I would like to excuse ourselves."
The King orders the Eunuch to take them to the Guest House and as soon as the
leave the hall, one by one the Ministers show their dissatisfaction.
"They are so arrogant as if they are still in their country," the Prime Minister huffs.
"They are rude and act like they are superior than us," the Minister of Finance says.
"We should not let them stay longer. The longer they stay here, the more restless the people will be," the Minister of Defense speaks his thought.
The King clears his throat and all the attention shifts to him. The Ministers stop talking and lower their head facing the King.
"I understand your restlessness to this issue but this is such a historical event. We had been fighting with the Mings hundreds of years. The North Border is our witness to such relentless events. If this gathering will be able to stop the war and open new opportunities for our Nation, then I will not hesitate to step forward. I hope that all of you will give your best cooperation so that this discussion will go smoothly."
The Ministers look at each other and feel that they had no other choice but to agree as this is for the goodness of their Nation, "Yes, Your Majesty."
***
When all the ministers returned to all their respective departments, and the King also returned to his Reading Room, I followed the Royal Advisor instead of the General.
I heard the Royal Advisor asked the King's permission to greet the envoys properly and to send the welcoming gifts to them in behalf of the King.
Every act of the Royal Advisor is very suspicious to me, so to satiate my curiousity, I plan to follow him.
As soon as he arrives at the Guest House, the Commander greets him. "Advisor Ji, finally the man himself," he speaks to him with a hint of familiarity.
"I hope the Great Emperor speaks well of myself," he grins. The way he addresses the Ming's Emperor sounds like he is one of the Ming, this could be considered an act of treason!
"Bring the gifts inside and leave after that," the Royal Advisor orders the servants.
The both of them went inside a small room and two, I guess, guards, are guarding outside the room. There are only the Commander and the Royal Advisor in the room, sitting on the table , like talking business.
"I hope that all your plans are going out perfectly," the Commander says.
I become wary.
"Of course, it's going on very smoothly. Now, we only need to raise suspicions between the two brothers and when it's going tense, that's when you play your role," the Royal Advisor says sinisterly.
"You realise this is a very dangerous plan you are planning? If not for the Great Emperor's trust on you, I will never risk this. The General is a very clever person, he will catch up even before I take out my sword."
"Are you afraid, Commander Zu? I am also risking myself for this plan, if it doesn't work out, where do you think I will be? This is the only chance to take down the General, is it not your wish to do so?"
"I am a man of my word, I'm already here, there's no such thing as being afraid!" The Commander scoffs. "The General had ruined my name during the last battle and the Emperor was mad of our running away from the battle. He played trick on us and I was shamed in front of my subordinates! I will make sure him to pay for that humiliation I felt." He clenches his fists then he looks at the Royal Advisor, "Will his death the outcome of this plan or do you plan to keep such outstanding man and turn him into one of us?"
The Royal Advisor laughs but it sounds devilish, "Of course I want his death,
not just him but also his brother. We do not need such a weak king to rule this nation. True, the General is such a waste to kill but he is a loyal dog to the King, not killing him means we are looking for a trouble for ourselves. That's the plan, I'm giving away this Nation to the Great Emperor, and you just have to make sure you follow the plans accordingly. Kill the King and his dog, and this Nation will fall in no time."
'They are planning a revolt!'
I try to calm myself when hearing their conversation. I know the Royal Advisor hates the General but I never thought he will come to this extent as to selling this Nation to the enemies!
How am I going to tell this to the General, I'm just a ghost!
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