Tian Dou City was in a festive mood. The clamor from the partying populace was so loud that the noise could be faintly heard even in the Throne Room of the Palace.
Ministers and Generals arrayed themselves before the Emperor's Dais. The morning memorials had commenced and all were speaking and boasting, relaying results, news, and schemes before their peers and in front of the Emperor.
Generals of the armies reported their recent battles and told of their efforts at combating Spirit Beasts at the edges of the Empire. Those Generals who managed the Tian Dou Empire's Southern Border spoke of the latest regarding their contact with Xing Luo contemporaries. Some bemoaned a lack of resources or talented subordinates. None risked speaking too effusively of the attrition of battle or losses in anything but vague terms.
Ministers spoke of managing provinces or relaying their frustrations with the Dukes that stewarded the Kingdoms within the Empire's borders, a particularly fraught subject of late. Two months had passed since word had reached the Emperor of a plague in the south that threatened the agriculture of the Empire. Most of the Courtiers were so energetic during this particular morning memorial because news had reached them regarding a conclusion that would be presented during this meeting.
A charged silence had filled the room after the memorials had come to an end. The main event was what the city was celebrating and all were excited to hear the specifics.
"The court announces the presence of His Highness the Crown Prince Xue Qinghe and His Highness the Prince Xue Beng!"
Two figures walked forward. From completely hidden to suddenly commanding the room.
"Xue Qinghe (Beng) present themselves and kneel before the Emperor."
The figure on the throne shifted and let loose a hearty chuckle. "Princes of Tian Dou, our sons and most valued of subjects. Word has reached us of your efforts in the South-East Kingdoms. We have heard tales of your combat with plague and famine. Of you, Xue Qinghe being key to the defeat of the plague now named the Black Rot and the ongoing efforts to blunt the resource shortages in those portions of our Empire."
Murmurings from the crowd grew marginally louder at the reveal. The common knowledge amongst those gathered was that the Kingdom of Balak and the Province of Fasinuo were in a rush to harvest what wasn't touched and to investigate the source of the plague. The Princes had set off nearly as soon as the information had reached the Capital and many wondered at the sheer speed of this plague's defeat and the consequences of their effort.
"We have heard further that our fourth son, Xue Beng, has been instrumental in the saving of some 100 million mu of crop lands that would have lain fallow for a season or more."
This time the murmurings turned into gasps. The crowd was filled with learned men who knew that a fallow season from the most fertile farmlands of the Tian Dou Empire would be dangerous and require careful management of resources. A fallow season for what seemed to be every farmland to the South-East of the capital could spell the end of a dynasty.
Granaries would be able to tide over the wealthy and connected but the people would be put on rations in no more than 2 weeks and forced to starve or riot after the food ran out depending on the size of the granaries and the temperaments of the local officials. Some quick-witted courtiers paled at the realization that millions of Tian Dou citizens owed their lives to the princes.
"Our Sons, you have committed a great act of benevolence for the Empire and our people. We would reward you with the only prize we know to be worthy of such an achievement." The figure on the throne then stood and strode forward to be within two steps of the kneeling Princes. "Our sons, it is apparent to all gathered here that the Kingdom of Balak and the Province of Fasinuo have been managed poorly. The Stewards that we have entrusted with this most vital part of our Empire have failed where you two have most brilliantly succeeded."
The figure rested his gaze on the princes and proclaimed loudly before the court.
"Our sons, take from us the mantle of responsibility for these most vital parts of our Empire, show our subjects the brilliance that we can see in you. Present before the world the excellence of our Empire!"
The Emperor of Tian Dou swept his arms out and in that moment the two Princes before him raised their heads and shouted.
"Yes, your Majesty!"
—
"Those… insufferable - AH!"
With an inarticulate shout Xue Shi flings the glass in his hand at the wall of the sitting room hard enough to shatter it. The shards of glass scatter across the room as the alcohol in the cup splatters across the frescoe on the wall and then drips onto the floor.
"Brother calm yourself." Xue Feng chides with no small amount of frustration himself. "We must commit to another course. It is plain to see that our efforts to ruin their reputations no longer have the possibility of bearing fruit." Xue Feng clenches his hands in agitation before forcefully relaxing himself.
"I would say that you are too calm brother!" Xue Shi restrains himself from outright shouting. "Our royal siblings have cured a plague and saved the peasantry from starving. Our Royal Father rewarded them in front of the entire court and the whole damn city is celebrating their return. What course is left to us?!" Xue Shi nearly works himself into another fit.
Xue Feng smirks, "I propose that we engage more closely with the nobles of the South-East, Xue Shi. You know that our siblings and the nobility do not care for each other, and the Kingdom of Balak and the Province of Fasinuo have noble families that we could reach out to. Our course here is to trouble our Royal Siblings enough that all of this raucous celebration comes back to bite them when it turns out that their ability to tend farmland has no bearing on governance." Xue Feng retorts. "With the South-Eastern nobility subservient to us they could both be Titled Douluo and still fail at every task set before them. Their reward from our Royal Father is a chain around their useless necks fit only for us to lead them with."
Xue Shi took a calming breath and considered that for a moment before smiling. "Yes, yes! You're right, those brothers of ours have no idea what is coming for them. We'll have them at our mercy soon enough."
Xue Shi and Xue Feng laughed together before going about figuring out which nobles would be particularly amenable to their direction.
—
"What a farce." Xue Beng sighs despondently. His form sprawled out on the room's four-poster canopied bed.
"Mm-hmm?" Xue Qinghe responds from across the room
Xue Beng turns to face Xue Qinghe, "Just because you're familiar with me doesn't mean you can just ignore my leading statements like that. Let me vent a little!" Xue Beng expressed in exasperation.
Xue Qinghe rolls his eyes, and in that time, the light around his form ripples before revealing an entirely different person underneath.
The golden hair that sat upon his brow unfurled down her back like harnessed sunbeams, his sword eyebrows, square face, strong chin, and sharp eyes became her willow-leaf eyebrows, tear-drop face, soft chin, and peach blossom eyes. Xue Qinghe was no more.
Qian Renxue steps out of the shattered illusion and throws her body on top of Xue Beng's prone form. Xue Beng groans in dismay.
Qian Renxue kneads at Xue Beng for a little while before responding in a mocking tone. "Hmph, tell us your grievances our second most-valued son."
Xue Beng shudders in disgust. "No, please never do that again. That's not how I like my daddy issues." Xue Beng sighs again before shifting the conversation. "We both knew that this wouldn't result in much, but assigning us what is functionally a disaster relief position that would've burdened our Royal Father is still a disappointing turn of events."
Qian Renxue nods, "We'll manage. Like we always have." She takes a moment to think before continuing. "Most of our support base is situated in the Capital, some of our affiliated merchants travel through Balak and Fasinuo. We aren't completely without avenues to take. And… well." Qian Renxue smirks. "My uncles can discreetly help us with a problem here or there."
"That may be the case, but our support is not what worries me." Xue Beng confides, "Our Royal Brothers may decide that this is cause for escalation. Our previous 'shadow war' was tedious but manageable; being so publicly favored could be the final straw for their fragile egos."
A pregnant silence passed before, "Do you regret asking me to spare them?" Qian Renxue said softly, searching Xue Beng's face for answers.
Xue Beng turned his head away from her searching gaze. "I don't want to regret that." He ventured. "I still want to believe that they could be kind. Turn out different from the rest of the nobility. Tian Dou is rotten in a way that I never could've expected 10 years ago but there are places where the rot doesn't show." Xue Beng grimaces at the admission.
"It hides." Qian Renxue finished for him. "I'm glad you stopped me back then. Xue Qinghe is blood enough on my hands already, I didn't need more." Qian Renxue lowered herself and embraced Xue Beng. "Thank you."
"I'm-" Qian Renxue placed a finger on his lips. Xue Beng sighed. "You're welcome."
Xue Beng and Qian Renxue relaxed for a while more before they separated and got up to return to their duties.
"I'll see you tomorrow. We can start planning our next moves after meeting with the Emperor for details on our 'taking the mantle of responsibilty'." Xue Beng said.
Qian Renxue nodded, and with a final hug, turned away as the light rippled about her and she became him. Her golden tresses folded up into a shorter crown of golden curls, her features hardened and sharpened and Qian Renxue was no more.
"I'll see you tomorrow brother~." Xue Qinghe said with a teasing lilt.
Xue Beng watched Xue Qinghe leave the room and took the time to sit with himself for a moment. He thought over his past, their past. The world he'd found himself in at the age of eight years old. Xue Beng remembered another world and another life that was separated from him now by a decade of being a different person in different circumstances.
Xue Beng let go of his thoughts and focused on the other thing that required his attention.
He allowed himself to imagine text in his mind. There wasn't any actual system as far as he knew, but the boxes were a comfort he wouldn't deny himself.
///
Red Human Fate - Saint Farmer of Tian Dou
Millions of souls exult in prayer and thanks for your grace. This represents the faith of those who believe in you as a Saint of Agriculture. So long as this faith persists you will find all of your efforts in this regard bearing fruit more quickly and plentifully than would otherwise be the case.
- This Fate increases your ability to understand plants and herbs and allows you to more easily learn about the properties of plants and herbs.
- This Fate increases the effectiveness of your actions to tend to and care for plants; meaning that positive effects will increase where you are involved.
- This Fate is fixed and can no longer be changed if your believers lose faith in you.
- This Fate experiences resonance with other Fates causing certain secondary and tertiary effects such as- ...
- This fate can be broken down into strands of Red Luck which ca- ...
///
Xue Beng looked at the imagined text before turning his mind's eye towards the other fates that he bore. Fates that were white, yellow, purple, black, and red. None of his fates had reached the step beyond red, what he theorized to be gold. Xue Beng looked at the fruits of his labors and sighed in contentment. He was far from done.
Tang San, the Son of Destiny, was still more than a decade and a half from becoming a God. Xue Beng didn't know if his Fate would be able fight the Destiny he'd been preparing for. He could only continue to make every effort towards an uncertain future.