“Yellow Sky”: Crisis for the Han Dynasty sample (Act I) -- T. P. M. Thorne
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PROLOGUE: A TALE OF OLD TIMES
The vast lands of China were once ravaged by a war that lasted for almost a century: it began with the people’s disaffection with corrupt officials, and at its end, an imperial line was once again the dominant force in the land, though things would never be the same again.
A group of young children gathered expectantly at the corner of a busy road. Most days, an old man that remembered the famous tales of the ‘Three Kingdoms’ era would come to this spot to share them with enthusiastic audiences.
“I wanna hear ‘bout Guan Yu!” one child said excitedly.
“I wan’ hear ‘bout nasty old Dong Zhuo!” another said.
The chatter and the excitement built steadily, until one older boy said, “Here he comes!”
The old man hobbled toward the gathering, accompanied by several adults that were as keen to hear those stories as the children were.
“Hello, everyone!” the old man said with thinly-disguised joy at the attention that he was receiving.
One child clutched at the old man’s sleeve, and shouted, “Tell us about-”
“Hush, please!” the old man chuckled. “I can’t very well tell you anything if you all shout, can I…?”
The children quietened, and many adults looked on jealously at the power the old man had over the energetic youngsters.
“…I talk a lot about the days of Liu Bei, and Cao Cao, and Sun Quan,” the old man began. “I talk a lot about Dong Zhuo-”