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The chaos would bring men from all parts of the country together as
allies or enemies; and sometimes, men who lived at opposite ends of the country
would one day meet under incredible circumstances. The eastern tip of northern
China was part of Qing Province, a place that did not immediately experience
the worst of the unrest due to its distance from the capital. In Huangxian, a
small city in the Donglai Prefecture of Qing Province, a 20-year-old man of
exceptional talent and character was serving in an inconsequential role as a
junior official. That man was Taishi Ci,
styled ‘Ziyi’, and fate was about to put him on a journey that would one day
see him become a significant figure in the land.
“Are you well, Mother…?” Taishi Ci asked as he prepared to leave his home.
“I’ll be fine, honestly,” Ci’s mother insisted. “Go on, you’ll be late.”
Taishi Ci bowed respectfully, and said, “I shall return on time as
always, Mother. Please, be well.”
“Go on, go on!” Ci’s mother
cackled. “Honestly…!”
Taishi Ci left his home and began his journey to work within the offices
of the administrator of the prefecture. But this day, something would happen
that would change Taishi Ci’s life forever.
“Ah, Official Taishi!” a
voice hailed as soon as Taishi Ci entered his office.
“Ayah,” Taishi Ci groaned. “Am
I late, Administrator…?”
“I don’t honestly care if you are; please, follow me, we need to talk,”
the Administrator ordered. Taishi Ci followed his superior to his decorated
office and took a seat when invited. However, the Administrator was silent and
brooding once the two were seated.
“…Have I done something…?” Taishi Ci said at last.
“No… oh, no, sorry, no!” the Administrator said with a nervous laugh.
“It… well, you see, I have a conundrum, and I think that only you - a man of
wit, skill, speed and strength that far exceeds the role that you now occupy -
can resolve.”
“You flatter me undeservedly,” Taishi Ci said as he clasped his hands
together and bowed humbly.
“No, I don’t,” the Administrator retorted. “Since a youth, you’ve been
known as an expert horseman, unrivalled in sport, a deft swordsman, a good
writer… you’re a great talent, and I expect you to go far in life. But that is
then and you; this is now, and me. I need your help, Taishi Ci. Every
man answers to someone, as you answer to me. I answer to the Provincial Office.
The Inspector’s senior officer and I have, for some time, been at odds over a
number of local civil matters, and now it seems that the time has come for
things to become serious. He has decided to elevate matters to the highest
authority, and has written to Luoyang this morning.”
Taishi Ci groaned involuntarily.
“Exactly,” the Administrator said with a morbid laugh. “You know how it
is, Taishi Ci… things were bad enough before the cultists began tearing the
country apart; the corruption in the court is beyond belief, and it operates on
a simple rule: in a dispute, the first argument is taken as the right one, to
save effort. Unfortunately, his office is closer to the capital, so if I don’t
hurry, I am finished. I have written a letter: I want you to deliver it to
Luoyang, and I want you to do whatever it
takes, Taishi Ci, to ensure that it gets there first.”