The Tale Never Ends Chapter 189 The Ming Dynasty Murong Hai

War was ravaging the lands and the hundreds of thousands of Ming soldiers who were powerless to repel the Northern barbarians and rebels had instead taken to torturing the common people. The wretched armies, instead of protecting the people, had come to rob and plunder and had taken the children of Wu Zhong County with them when they retreated to Fengrun District. Then they delivered letters of demand to the parents of the children, demanding ransom. Worse, the children would be slaughtered if the parents were late in delivering the ransom. Those that I saw leaving the city with sullen looks on their faces were those who were on their way to Fengrun to redeem their children. Those whom I saw on their way back, but with empty wagons or baskets, were those who had failed to ama.s.s enough money or those whose children had been brutally slain because of being late. It was pitiful that these poor peasants had to give up and scrounge for every ounce of gold and silver that they could to reclaim their offsprings.

As they spoke, I listened and heard the man saying, "The end is not long ahead for the Ming Empire. It will fall anytime soon..." "I see, so this is somewhere near 1640," I finally realized the time. That would mean this was somewhere during Li Zicheng's siege of Beijing. Wait, so this was also when Bian Dashou was secretly decreed to destroy Li Zicheng's dragon leys! It was the eventide of Chongzhen Emperor's reign at the eventide of the once-glorious Ming Dynasty where the Emperor's rule was marred with long years of war and turmoil, and the corruption and decadence found rife in the Ming Court was definitely not helping! In the end, the imperial government had wantonly lost what dignity and prestige it once held, and resorted to the depraved measures of robbing the people!

A vein throbbed on the Taoist priest's forehead as he listened to the man's plight. Despite his best attempts to repress any emotions, his eyes flared with fury and the intent to shed blood! The air of sternness and restraint percolated from his very person that just by standing beside him, I could feel his powers and rage churning inside him! "Who is he?!" I asked myself curiously.

But just when I still wondering about him, the Taoist priest gave a bow to the man, turned, and left. I scampered at his heels but I found that I was having a hard time keeping up to him. His brisk, long strides, although looking ordinary like how Zhu Mei normally walked, was forceful and strong! He retreated quickly into the depths of the forest and rose into the sky, surrounded by the iridescent clouds swirling around him. With him, the drowning mood of pressure and sternness went with him. But seeing him fly made me anxious. But just when I tried to keep up with him, I flew! With just a simple urge in my mind, I could fly! And so, I took into the air after the priest, following close at the rear of the tendrils of colorful opalescence roiling behind him.

"Oh my G.o.d! So this is what flying is!" I almost screamed. In truth, I had once before experienced flying, but the ordeal was hardly as enjoyable and gratifying as this!

We pressed North for Heaven knew how long and I finally saw with my own eyes how pathetic and tragic was life for the common folk caught up in the turmoil of war and chaos! The ma.s.s of iridescence stopped in mid-air before me; the Taoist mage was pausing for a look. Then I looked down to see what interested him. It was a battle between two armies. From the liveries and raiments, one of them was the army of the Ming Empire while the other was the northerners dressed in furry wraps: the bannermen of the future Qing Empire! But instead of having the size of a detachment from a formal army, the latter looked more like a band of brigand or highwaymen. Anyway, before I could make sense of it, the Taoist mage, still shrouded in his vividly-hued luminescence, tore off towards West.

I chased after him and we continued flying for some time. For one of the many times since I saw him, I could feel that the Taoist mage noticed my presence. But instead of warding me off, he seemed to be leading me somewhere as if intent on showing me something.

Then he stopped and landed and so did I. It was already morning after a few days of flying. The iridescent clouds descended and the Taoist mage rea.s.sumed his human form. His appearance was still the same, although his clothing was completely different. This time, he was richly-dressed in the outfit of a n.o.bleman or a wealthy merchant. Then I noticed that we had landed in a remote spot somewhere in the corner of a town and there was no one else around. The priest looked around and he began walking out into the open, moving towards the town's market.

The priest sauntered about idly across the market square, wandering around listlessly until he finally stopped after so many rounds in front of a local tavern. "What's this? Is he hungry?" He went in before I realized it and went up to the second floor. A waiter came to him and addressed him warmly, "This way please, sir..." But the priest cut him off wordlessly, pointing instead to a room that looked like a private lounge. The waiter respectfully withdrew and the priest quietly moved towards the lounge.

He stretched an arm towards the door and rapped it thrice. Then a male voice came from the other side, "Yes." It was just a curt reply, with nothing more. But the simple, one-syllable word that came from the other side of the door almost made me faint! It was a voice that I had heard for decades, a voice that I could never be any more familiar with. A voice that could only belong to Father!

The priest hastily adjusted his head cap and hair and brushed the dust off his robes. When he was satisfied that he was looking prim and proper, he pushed at the doors to let himself in and I hastily followed in. In the room were a table and a porcelain flask of wine. A man clad in a simple robe was sitting at the table, his long sinuous hair was let hanging down on his back. A snowy fox perched on his shoulder, its scarlet eyes studying the newcomer wordlessly as the latter came in like encrusted rubies. It really was Father and Mother!! A bizarre sensation coursed through me as I began to wonder if I was dreaming! "This is simply unbelievable!"

I stood before the "centuries-ago Father" and the priest plumped to a chair opposite. Despite my invisibility, I could feel that they could sense my presence. Even Mother was throwing the occasional strange looks towards my direction every now and then. With a deep breath, I mustered as much courage as I could, and I squeaked, "Father? Mother?"

But no answer came from them. I was still very much like the air around them. No one could hear nor see me.

No amount of words would fully describe the complicated feelings eddying in me. But my years of experience and the encounters that had whetted me into a better person has had me no longer the same impulsive and fervid young man I used to be. By now, I was calmer and more reserved. With no signs of acknowledgment from Father and Mother at me calling out to them, I made no more attempt to garner their attention and merely stood quietly beside the priest to listen in on their conversation.

When the man sat down, he did not directly speak. Instead, he sat quietly as if reconst.i.tuting the things he wanted to say before he finally began. "The dragon leys of the Ming Empire are waning just as the dragon leys of Li Zicheng are thriving. I'd say now is the right time to sever the dragon leys for good. But..." His voice broke as he paused as if to study Father's reaction. But if he wished to divine Father's thoughts, I would guess he would never will; Father continued wearing the blank and disinterested look as I had been seeing for decades and the priest finally continued, "Li Zicheng's rebel army, though nowhere near as refined and disciplined as a formal army, has enjoyed a string of successes on the battlefield. But that would do little to change my mind whether he is suitable for the throne. He is not kings.h.i.+p material!"

This made Father c.o.c.k an eyebrow as he blurted a mildly-surprised "Oh?" The priest immediately broke into a hurried explanation, "Li Zicheng might have had roots once as a farmer. But he had long shed that part of his past behind like a snake losing its skin. He no longer has the best interest of the common folk at heart by allowing his men to indulge in pillaging and ransacking the poor and needy! I'm afraid that peace will still be elusive even if he takes the throne!" Father merely gave a few curt and spiritless nods, looking absolutely bored as his eyes bored into his guest.

The priest quickly understood the tacit gesture and sputtered hesitantly, "I was watching and examining the movements of the dragon leys, when I found another set of dragon leys, well beyond the frontiers, being awakened." He paused again to look at Father's reaction. Clearly, he was afraid of Father as if Father might smite him to smithereens if he uttered anything wrong. Catching the priest's doubt and indecision, Father twisted into a smile and chuckled. "Rest easy. Just go on."

The priest's head lowered humbly before it rose again and he went on, "I have also looked into the lives of the common folk during my travels. Imagine my dismay when I discover soldiers, the military of the Ming Court, robbing and stealing from the poor. The wretched folks are left with not even a sack or bread! The depraved courtiers and ministers of the imperial government are now bleeding poor dry by kidnapping children and demanding a ransom for them! How are they different from marauders and thieves!? In contrast, look at the purported barbarians of the North! They rode into greater Central Plains of China, sparing every fen and field and every common folk they encountered! The end is inevitable for the Ming Empire. In fact, I'd say that saves us the trouble of dealing with their dragon leys. But I can't say the same for Li Zicheng; we must do something lest we condemn the common folk to wreck and ruin for centuries! If I may suggest, we could just simply allow the Jurchens the rule of the country by conveniently helping this freshly-awakened dragon ley of theirs. It will be better than handing the fate of the nation to Li Zicheng at any rate!"

His eyes throbbed with pa.s.sion and his hands shook with fervor as he spoke with overflowing vehemence and excitement and that made Father laughed and clapped his hand in applause! But watching from the sidelines, I could scarcely comprehend that this was a conversation about the future ruling dynasty of the country! From a historical standpoint in the future, it was public knowledge that the Qing Dynasty, or the Jurchens that the priest just mentioned, would later reign supreme. And everyone knew full well about what happened to Li Zicheng. He was merely the lord of greater China for barely months before his downfall. But the change of a dynasty was no trivial matter. Yet here are two demiG.o.ds discussing the change of the ruling dynasty of China as if they are merely talking about the change of seasons?

Just as I was still teetering on the shock and disbelieve at something so grave and astounding, the priest stood up. "With your permission, I shall help the Jurchens to the best of my ability and set everything into stone as soon as possible!" The priest turned and his hand reached for the door. But before he could barely take another step, Father spoke in a slow, casual, and unemotional voice, "A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under Heaven. Leave the rest to Destiny and focus only on your task: severing the dragon leys. Nothing more."