Volume 2 Chapter 24
On the first day of the tenth month, a crowd gathered outside the front gate of the palace.
This happens every day, however. Petitioners from all over the empire arrive at the front gate to petition the emperor. They carry with them written petitions, which are to be handed to the scribe at the gate. They carry verbal petitions, which are delivered to the guard of the gate.
Among the crowd was a filthy dirt farmer, his son, and his son’s three servants.
Tan stood nervously next to his father with his friends as the queue was formed. “Shouldn’t we get in line?” Tan asked.
“No need. Renton will meet us here and welcome into his home,” the filthy dirt farmer assured his son.
“When will that happen?” Tan asked.
“Pretty soon, I think. After you went back to bed last night we finished arranging things for your entrance. But just in case, let me signal the gate guard to make certain that we’re ready.”
The filthy dirt farmer did pull upon his intent and signal to the guard of the gate that he was present. The guard of the gate, who had been waiting for this signal, ordered that the bell at the front gate of the emperor’s palace be struck, and a Queue began to form.
The gate of the palace was opened, and four servants of the emperor came out. “Here ye here ye,” the servants exclaimed. “By decree of the emperor, the front gate is to remain open for the rest of the day. By decree of the emperor, he shall hold court before the front gate. By decree of the emperor, the throne of the empire shall be put on public display. By decree of the emperor, the tenth month of the current year shall be declared a month of learning for the children of the emperor. All loyal servants of the empire are required to educate their children during the tenth month of this year. Here ye here ye, prepare to be in the presence of the emperor himself.”
“Okay, Tan, it sounds like it’s about to get started,” Tren said, as abruptly the energy in the crowd changed. Many of the nobles ran to their homes to change clothes. Many of the commoners ran to bring word of the decrees of the emperor. Only the Shen family stood in one place.
As the front gate of the palace was opened, abruptly, the top of the battlement was struck by lightning. A justicar wearing the mask of the emperor appeared from the bolt of lightning, which caused many of those who had not run away to change their clothes or spread the word to flinch and cry out in surprise.
“Hear me! I am the voice of the emperor and I bear his will! I demand that all loyal servants of the emperor do bow before me.”
Tan looked nervously to his father, who stood proudly as everyone else got to their knees and began to kowtow, including his friends.
“Do we bow?” Tan asked.
“To Renton? Why would we do that?” Tren responded. “Stand proudly before your uncle, Tan, because he is proud of you. As is your father. Remember the instructions we gave you last night and just do your best.”
“Right,” Tan said. “But what is this all—”
“The emperor has decided that today, he shall amuse his loyal servants! Today, he has commissioned a play! It is entitled thus ‘The day that two emperor’s took a bath.’ It is an educational play intended for children. His left hand is busy writing the words for this play, and when they are finished they shall be notarized and spread throughout the empire!”
“You there! Why do you still stand before the emperor!”
Nervously, people began to lift their heads, turning to look to see Tan and Tren Shen standing proudly.
“Well? Answer me!” the justicar demanded.
“I stand because the emperor bid me stand in his presence,” Tren answered. “And my son stands because the emperor bid that no member of my family line shall be required to kowtow to him.”
“That is absurd! You expect me to believe that?” the justicar asked.
“You may ask the emperor himself the next time you see him,” Tren answered.
“I shall do that! What is your name, Dirt Farmer?”
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“My name is whatever the emperor wills my name to be, for I am a humble servant of the empire. If it is the emperor’s will that I be named Dirt Farmer, then I humbly accept this honor.”
“Let it be known that for the rest of the day, this man who stands in the imperial presence shall be known as ‘dirt farmer!’ You, boy, who stands in the imperial presence! What is your name to be recorded as?”
Tan looked around, realizing how many eyes were upon him. He swallowed, and muttered something.
“What was that? I could not hear you!”
“He said that his name was Tanshen,” Pao shouted.
“Who asked you! Boy, stand and state your name! Tell the emperor’s will whence you come!”
Pao stood, as he had been directed. “My name is Pao. I have no family name, for I cast it off to serve the empire. I serve at the pleasure of the emperor and was visited by his will last night. He instructed me to serve as Tanshen’s voice in the event that his voice failed to be heard.”
“Very well! Pao, you shall be recorded as the voice of Tanshen!” the justicar stated. “Let anyone else who was visited last night by the will of the emperor stand!”
Won and Ko both stood.
“State your names!”
They did.
“And your roles!”
“Today, Won serves as the right hand of Tanshen, and today, Ko serves as his left hand.”
“Wonderful!” the justicar declared. “The actors have been named and their roles defined! When I take off my mask, I shall put upon the role that the emperor wills me to bear for the day, for I too serve at the pleasure of the empire! Until the end of the day, my name shall be recorded in the logs of the empire as Renton. Of the Shen family.”
He took off his mask.
“Loyal servants of the empire, I stand before you, and my name is Renton Shen. I am the first servant of the empire, and today, I shall entertain you with a play. The imperial actors shall wait twenty minutes, and then we shall begin the first act of ‘the day two emperors took a bath.’ All loyal subjects of the emperor are permitted to stand, sit, or kneel for the duration of the play, as they are able to, as comfort allows, and as they will.”
Tan looked around. At the conclusions of Renton’s words, everyone began to look up.
And directly at him, his father, and his friends.
He swallowed nervously.
“What the heck? Who said anything about a play?” he asked.
Pao abruptly repeated his words at the top of his lungs.
“Pao, what are you saying?”
Pao again repeated his words loudly.
“It’s tradition, Tan,” Tren informed him. “As long as he’s serving as your voice, Pao must repeat everything you say. He’s just doing what Renton and I instructed him to do after you went to bed. If you want to make things easier for him, then make your words clear and concise until the pay is over.”
“Oh,” Tan said.
“Oh!” Pao shouted.
“But seriously father, what’s this about a play? I’m no actor.”
“Just do your best, son. Our family is loyal to the empire, and we serve the empire as the empire demands to be served. Today, the empire demands a play, and we shall give it to them. Don’t worry, just answer Renton’s questions honestly. There’s really nothing to worry about except for embarrassing yourself.”
“Okay,” Tan agreed.
“Okay!” Pao shouted.
Twenty minutes passed. The crowd in the square grew. People began climbing onto the roofs of nearby houses. Stands were brought out from inside the gate for people to stand upon to get a better view.
Very soon, thousands of people were in attendance.
Tan swallowed nervously when his uncle announced “It is the appointed hour. When I clap my hands, the first act of ‘the day two emperors took a bath’ shall begin!”
He waited a moment, then clapped his hands.
“Let all the imperial actors obey their scripts, which shall be written by the imperial hands! The first act begins!”
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