Chapter 37
“We have so much to do today!” Sheiji exclaimed as they sat in the throne room early the next morning. They had retired early the night before and it was strange for Sheiji to sleep in his own bed once again. Now, thoroughly refreshed and full from a rich breakfast, they met for the complex business of restoring his kingdom.
“Where should we begin?” Inon asked.
“Well, I don’t have a general for my army yet. We need someone to manage the soldiers living here and to raise an army if that becomes necessary again,” Sheiji said. He grinned at Fa-Ying.
“I cannot think of anyone who would be a good general,” Fa-Ying grinned back.
Both pretended to think hard about the problem. Suddenly, Sheiji looked up, “I know. What about Inon!”
“Me?” Inon asked.
“I have never seen a soldier so young who is as skillful as you, Inon,” Sheiji commented. “You organized my loyal soldiers here and helped to lead the charge on the palace and your strategies are excellent.”
“The men listen to you and respect you,” Fa-Ying added. “I have listened to their talk. They say you are brave and you value their lives. To them, those things are important.”
“I don’t know enough to be general,” Inon argued.
“The biggest thing is for the men to respect you,” Fa-Ying told him. “General Ammar has agreed to stay behind for several months and teach you what you need to know.”
“Will you be my general, Inon?” Sheiji asked eagerly. “I might add that the pay is excellent.”
“I suppose I can’t refuse,” Inon said. “Thank you, Sheiji.”
Sheiji grinned, “And Fa-Ying, I would like to make you my official advisor.”
“I’m old, Sheiji,” Fa-Ying replied. “It would be best to find a younger advisor.”
“For as long as you are able,” Sheiji added, looking pleadingly into Fa-Ying’s eyes. “And I shall find a younger advisor in addition to you. But you will be First Advisor to the King.”
Fa-Ying nodded his consent.
“Good. Now, what do we do about Sui-Tsai?”
The palace prisons were not a pleasant place. Buried underground as the prison was, it was cold and dark. The only light came from torches placed at long intervals along the wall. The stench was terrible. The smells of rotting garbage, dirty bodies and sewage mixed in the stagnant air. It was enough to make anyone gag. It was not a clean place. Taiyunyi prisons, especially those in the palace, were well known for their unusually large rats and insects.
There were ten cells, each large enough for three prisoners. At the moment, all were filled beyond capacity with those who had displeased His Regency, Sui-Tsai. It was here that Fa-Ying had spent several long weeks.
Sui-Tsai crouched miserably on a pallet in the darkest part of one cell. They had removed the other prisoners from his cell and he was utterly alone. His rich clothes were now smelly and full of the black slime that lined the floor. His stomach rumbled and he judged it to be sometime in the middle of the night, for the guards were dozing. He had been offered the prison food, but had refused to eat it. Now he wished he had, though the rice was long past moldy and the water a muddy brown.
He hated Sheiji. Hated him from the depths of his soul. Such a foolish boy, Sheiji was. If their roles had been switched, if Sui-Tsai had caught Sheiji in the throne room, he would have killed him right there with his own sword. But Sheiji wouldn’t do that. He was too soft. But Sui-Tsai couldn’t blame him. Sheiji was exactly like their father. Kawa was always kind. He was just, but still merciful. And there was something about him that made people instantly like and respect him, though he never used force.
Sui-Tsai had tried to be like him, but his temper always won out in the end. He thought he had become like him until he found out that it was fear, not respect that made people obey him. And Sheiji was just like his father. That’s why Sui-Tsai hated him so much. Sheiji cared nothing for what the common people thought of him, as long as he knew he was doing the right thing. He could lower himself so much as to help an ancient beggar or hold the hand of a grubby peasant child, and the people only loved him all the more for it. It made Sui-Tsai want to scream.
Now Sui-Tsai was going to die. Fa-Ying would make sure of that. He was going to die because he had failed to get rid of Sheiji when it really mattered. Sheiji had escaped and returned with an army. Sheiji’s loyal friends had helped him when he needed it most. But there was no one who would help Sui-Tsai. He had no real friends, only friends bought by fear or money. Those had deserted him and his only true friend, Tamé, he had killed out of jealousy and fear.
Would he have acted differently, if he had only known how it would end? Would he have accepted Sheiji as king? No, Sui-Tsai decided. Not for anything in the world would he have submitted to Sheiji’s authority. He would never accept him as king, not even if it would save his life.
He would never let Sheiji win! He still had money, didn’t he? Maybe not enough to get him to safety, but it would be enough to keep Sheiji from getting the last word. With new resolve, Sui-Tsai rose and walked to the bars of the cell.
“Soldier!”
The soldier came to Sui-Tsai’s cell holding a torch and spat in his face. Sui-Tsai struggled to control his temper. “Give me your sword, and I’ll give you all the money I have.”
“How much is that?” asked the soldier suspiciously.
“Two jiro,” Sui-Tsai answered in a low voice.
“Let me see! How did you get that past the guard?” the soldier inquired.
“I have a secret pocket. See,” Sui-Tsai showed him the two jiro. “Now give me your sword and they’re both yours.”
The soldier stood undecided before the bars. Then, slowly, he drew his sword from its sheath and handed it to Sui-Tsai.
“I am no witness to this!” the soldier cried. “Give me the money and let me be gone.”
Sui-Tsai thrust the two coins through the bars and the soldier hurried away, muttering to himself. Sui-Tsai held up the sword. Sheiji would not win! Never!