Jackal Among Snakes

After Argrave had done a dressing-down on the imprisoned emperor, a fair bit passed before either party again spoke. The emperor had been kneeling at the low-lying table politely, but he stretched his legs out and sat more comfortably. His indignance at being called a feeble-minded warrior had faded from his face so subtly Argrave wondered if he’d imagined it.

“Legacy… is a fickle thing,” Ji Meng said. His gaze wandered to the ceiling. “The last of the Zhu dynasty… as a baby, they said he was a tiny monster that pulled the wings from flies and then ate them. They claimed that as an infant his mother offered her milk, yet he tore apart her skin and gnawed on her insides instead. And as emperor, he was a man of size, barrel-chested. Any who opposed him would be ashes scattered to the grass.”

Ji Meng looked back at Argrave. “People still remember him like that. But he was a deluded man kept ignorant by his court. The emperor propped upright barely knew of my uprising before I burst into his room and slammed his head upon the wall. He died in less than a second. When I exited the cheers of my army grew loud, and despite the ease he died I raised his body to please the crowd.”

The emperor tapped the table. “That’s as much metaphor as it is a recounting. I raised his body to show those people the dead emperor, and I’ve allowed his legacy to persist because it suited me better than the truth. And until the oceans conquer the land, the surviving imperial court will not allow a single whisper of this conspiracy to leave the palace. Through changing wind and rain, the pigeons of the court fly only with each other.” He pointed a single finger at Argrave. “And you are no pigeon. How is it you, then, claim to know any of how my name will echo, how my court conspires, barbarian emperor?”

Though the question was for Argrave, Anneliese answered first. “I suspect you know Argrave speaks truly. The ignorant emperor in your story—you see yourself in him, now. Perhaps it is why you came here.”

“She’s right. If the imperial court is your country’s heart, it’s strangled tightly by an enemy of mine. And by consequence, you come here—the vanguard for an invasion.” Argrave looked at Anneliese. “You probably came here to verify for yourself what your pigeons were reporting, rather than die ignorant like the one before you. But what I don’t think you anticipated is that your nation had become a proxy for something greater. Something grander.”

“No. I came to ensure no general of mine would emerge victorious, and then return to my empire hesitant to relinquish their armies. Too many great generals have been ousted by the feeble-minded warrior you would decry. Most usurpers are former leaders, and—"

“Yet Admiral Tan Shu was your leader for this expedition,” Argrave interrupted. “You chose her for this task precisely because she doesn’t pose such a threat. A woman can’t challenge your authority the same way a man might.”

“Given that one saved your life and defeated me at the same time, that’s evidently an opinion I need to revise.” He looked at Anneliese. “Not to mention that your favored concubine accompanies you, sitting at equal footing and speaking without deference. Ours are a much different people.”

“She is at equal footing with me,” Argrave explained succinctly. “But I’m glad you admit the reason you came. You didn’t fear being usurped—you feared that you had already been blinded by your court. Am I wrong?”

Ji Meng remained silent, staring out at the windows, then looked at Argrave. “You truly live in this cold land? Then it is no wonder we lost.”

Argrave thought it was an attempt to divert the conversation, so he repeated, “Am I wrong?”

Ji Meng smiled at Argrave’s insistence. “Yes. I sought to totally restructure my court by gaining control of an army, earning their loyalty, and enforcing my decree upon my return. I sought to, once again, take the imperial court from whoever was holding it—and this time, rebuild it precisely as suits me. The eunuchs, the officials, the governor families… I intended to wash them away with my might as I had before until I had a clean slate. When I was done it would be like sand smoothed over with the back of a rake. From there… I might write my own story.” He leaned into the table. “Instead, they sent word of my coming to you. They told you the totality of my forces. Am I wrong?” he repeated back to Argrave.

quite,” Argrave shook his head, glad

even know what it does. Tan Shu’s bident, too, was a well-kept secret. You blocked her ably. You expected my attack, and knew its strength. I’ve fought enough to know these things. And I know that you knew.” He planted his fist on the table and leaned in closer. “Tan Shu tells me your ships knew how to ward our liquid fire. They even knew from whence it poured. Your strategy, from the beginning, knew of the Sea Dragon’s shield. Even once inside, you handled our force in a way that suggests prior

not considered a master general for no reason. It wasn’t exactly unsubtle, but few enough that Argrave

You’ve isolated me from my power, physically and socially. Now, you have a request to make of me. Perhaps our leak intends to use me to restructure the court precisely as I intended to. They wish to use me as a cudgel for their

all the facts at hand, but instead carried on calmly, “Again, not quite. It’s like we told you. This is grander than your imperial court. The puppet masters have strings on

have rejected the influence of the gods. We have our own principles, our own power, and our own way to confront the advent of the Test of Heaven. Our government is

entire army might enter your territory,” Anneliese clasped her hands

an insider. I’m telling you who my insider is—one of the divine. And to that end, I’ve taken the liberty of preparing many that might

Road. If you read it on Amazon, please

trust

that’s true, your empire will become yet another under divinity’s thumb. But if that’s not true, and you can agree to work with us, it’s

frankly.” Ji Meng crossed

for you to revitalize the vision of the Great Chu you just laid out before me.” Argrave planted his hands on the table. “I want you to turn your people against the gods that’ve parasitized

Sea Dragon that we speak on, even now. I

the truth—or some manner of it,” Argrave

Meng

to have you killed in battle. Tell them that you managed to talk me out of having them all executed.” Argrave waved his

Meng, again, did not take kindly to being made light of. He stared for what seemed like an

silent for a few moments, just as the emperor had. “This ship is mine. All your divine armaments are mine—and I’m keeping your royal guard for myself, as

blinded?” Ji Meng’s question was

said, tapping his

But I cannot hope to achieve anything if you should steal all of our weapons,” Ji Meng reasoned. “The imperial court will surely act when I

looked confused—he didn’t view lesser weapons as ‘enchanted,’ even if they used magic.

still be an army of peasants before elite soldiers. And that’s if we survived

is it? Fortunately, you led a peasant