The Dragon King Read online

  The emperor sat on the throne with his proud chin angled high, looking down on the sport from his lofty perch. He looked about forty years old, and sported a thin mustache with beard on his lower chin. His robe was bright blue and full of golden dragons and flowing ornate designs. He wore a special crown that held a series of strings in front of his face and behind his head. Small golden beads were threaded through the strings to partially obscure the ruler’s face. Chang had explained to them that this crown represented the stars of heaven, deities among whom the emperor resided.

  Balthazar had been amazed at how similar their own understanding of astral deities were. They too considered the stars interchangeable with the gods who ruled the nations of the earth. Although in the Hellenic world, astralization or apotheosis of the king would only happen after their death, as they would ascend to the stars to become gods. This king evidently considered himself already divine. Balthazar wondered how long it would be before Greek or Roman kings would claim the same prerogatives of divinity.

  Antiochus noticed a twitch in the emperor’s face as if a sharp pain afflicted his skull. Apparently, the divinity was not beyond the pain of an earthly headache. The emperor waved his hand.

  Meng Tian clapped his hands loudly.

  The warriors on the floor stopped instantly. They bowed to each other.

  The emperor said to the lesser fighter, “Well done, my son. You are an accomplished fighter. I am impressed with your training. Now if I could only have Li Ssu train you to rid yourself of that love of Confucius, you would be fit to succeed the throne. Come, stand by your brother.”

  Fusu bowed and stepped up to the throne to stand beside a smaller, younger, and softer sibling. Wu Shu knelt down beside Meng Tian.

  Meng Tian stood with Antiochus and Chang as his interpreter. They approached the throne and bowed, hands interlocked before their bodies.

  Meng Tian said, “Your divine majesty, I present to you General Antiochus the Younger from Seleucia at the western ends of the earth.”

  The emperor remained distant and unemotional in his gaze upon the foreigners.

  The closest advisor stepped forward. He was graying, and wore the white robes and black scarf sashes of the scholars. He had calculating eyes. The most like a serpent of all of them.

  He spoke and Chang translated. “Welcome to the court of his majesty Ch’in Shih Huang Di, the first august emperor of all under heaven, god on earth.”

  Antiochus bowed in response. They had been learning the rules of propriety from Chang, who now muttered to him, “That is Li Ssu, his Chancellor, the highest post in the kingdom.” Chang had told them about this man on their sea voyage. He was an adherent to a new philosophy called Legalism and he promoted it passionately. He had advised the emperor to institute harsh legal reforms that conflicted with their Confucian traditions. Confucius taught feudal values of family loyalty, ancestor worship and respect for elders. That emphasis on the family as the primary foundation of good government did not comport well with an absolute monarch and an all-powerful state.

  Chang whispered, “The two younger men beside the emperor are his sons, Fusu and Huhai, the crown princes.” Fusu was the fighter, Huhai, the younger, looked bookish and intellectual.

  Li Ssu said, “Chang Shen, I see you have learned the westerners’ language.”

  “Yes, my chancellor.”

  “Good. We shall not be barbarians to one another.” The word barbarian was a reference to the fact that foreigners spoke gibberish that sounded like “bar bar bar.”

  Antiochus spoke to the emperor with Chang’s help. “I represent my emperor of Seleucia. His kingdom in the west is as large as yours is in the east. And I bring you a gift. Your scholar, wounded but healed by my magi.”

  Chang bowed at the reference to himself. The emperor glared at Antiochus silently.

  Antiochus added, “I am sure you know of the circumstances, as your warrior, Wu Shu here, has no doubt attested to.” Antiochus had tactfully and politely implied his knowledge of the mercenary mission to kidnap the magi.

  Antiochus decided to damn this indirectness and spoke out clearly to the emperor, “He is an offering of diplomacy—in exchange for the magi you now hold hostage.”

  Li Ssu waved his hand. A slew of guards stepped forward and surrounded them with a fence of dagger-axes pointing directly at them. These were imperial pole weapons whose heads were shaped like both a dagger and an axe.

  Li Ssu continued to speak for his ruler. “An ‘emperor’ of the West, you claim?”

  Antiochus said, “As his majesty is emperor of the East.”

  Li Ssu laughed. “The East? Tianxia is the central kingdom. It is all under heaven. It has no boundaries.”

  “Nevertheless,” said Antiochus, “the emperor sent secret forces to do his bidding in my sovereign’s territory.”

  The emperor finally spoke out. He looked amused. “You pale round-eyed descendants of Cyrus retain his pride and stubbornness as well.”

  Antiochus immediately switched his attention to the ruler. “My intentions are not hostile, my lord. I returned Chang Shen in good faith to you, not in aggression. I came in a single vessel, not an armada. I am at your mercy.”

  The emperor smiled.

  “I am afraid I must reject your offer. You see, I need your magi.”

  Antiochus’ heart sank.

  “But I will return them.”

  There is hope, thought Antiochus.

  “After they have helped me find the elixir of immortality.”

  Elixir of immortality? Antiochus mused. And I thought my king was mad.

  Behind him, Balthazar felt dread come over him. He knew what was coming next.

  The emperor added, “And I am afraid I will need your other magus to help them.”

  The guards grabbed Balthazar. Antiochus drew his sword. The dozen dagger-axes closed to within inches of his head, throat and heart. He sheathed his weapon.

  The guards led Balthazar out of the throne room.

  The emperor said, “I apologize for my aggression, General Antiochus. Please, let me make it up to you. You are welcome to wait for your magi. I will appoint an escort to show you the wonders of Tianxia during your wait. You may travel freely within my empire.”

  He waved and the guards withdrew their pole arms.

  Right, thought Antiochus. Within your empire.

  Just then, one of the bowing servants of the entourage stepped forward and stood beside Antiochus. The guards closed in again.

  Antiochus gaped. It was Mei Li.

  She said, “Allow me to escort the foreigners, my lord.”

  The emperor appeared surprised, confused. Antiochus could see Li Ssu’s face flushed with anger. But Mei Li stared back at the emperor, small, defiant—beautiful as a dream to Antiochus.

  The emperor’s surprise turned into a smile. Antiochus thought it looked like a gaming smile, as if she had won a round of dice by tricking him. He wagged his finger at the little woman.

  “Mei Li, you continue to prove yourself an untamable tigress.”

  She bowed. “A tigress on the open range is far from the master’s abode, is she not, my lord?”

  The emperor laughed again, and said, “Your request is granted.”

  Mei Li bowed.

  Antiochus tried to figure out what just happened. But he could see Li Ssu was not happy.

  “One more thing,” added the emperor. He turned to his left and waved at some guards by the pillared walls.

  They pulled out a shackled prisoner and dragged him over before the throne, mere yards from Antiochus and Mei Li.

  “This is General Wei,” said the emperor. “He led the expeditionary force to Babylon.”

  General Wei had his back to the emperor, and was facing Antiochus with a kind of stoic look.

  The emperor finished, “He was not supposed to kidnap your magi. He was supposed to offer them gold and silver freely.”

  He gave a guttural yelp, some kind of an order.

&nbs
p; Wu Shu raised a huge scimitar sword and swung it around with a mighty force at Wei’s neck.

  Antiochus watched in horror as the head fell to the marble floor and rolled to Antiochus’ feet.

  The emperor said with a sudden lightheartedness, “My gesture of good faith to you, General Antiochus. May we grow in each other’s trust.”

  Antiochus remained silent. He couldn’t tell if it was proof of the emperor’s apology or a veiled threat.

  Maybe it was both.

  CHAPTER 15

  Chang brought Balthazar under guard to the south part of the royal palace. The magus looked up at the structure and read the banner aloud, “Academy of Scholars.”

  “Yes,” said Chang. “We must get you proper robes before I introduce you.”

  Chang brought him to a changing room where Balthazar took off his Greek garb and donned a black robe with white sash and scarf, the opposite of the colors of the scholars. It must be the garb of forced servitude, thought Balthazar.

  The Academy had its own structure with several floors. When he walked in the entrance, Balthazar noted it was much less ornamental than the royal palace. More functional. Scholars were, as magi were, more interested in knowledge than beauty.

  Chang told him, “There are four hundred and fifty scholars congregated here for the emperor. They are divided by fields of study such as alchemy, astronomy, medicine, divination, agriculture, poetry, history, and philosophy. But we live together.”

  Balthazar was shown his sleeping quarters, a communal arrangement with a monkish lifestyle.

  Then he arrived at a room guarded by bronze doors carved with images of dragons and magic. Chang paused and said to him with pride, “The alchemist’s laboratory. Where scholar and magician work together.”

  He passed the guards and pushed the doors open.

  Inside, Balthazar saw a workplace not too different from his own alchemy lab in Babylon. It was filled with dozens of scholars and magicians scattered around the large room engaged in various activities of cutting and combining, melting and mixing herbs and elements, all in the search of the perfect prescription. Strange devices, containers of materials, and at the back of the room, a double furnace with massive doors emanating heat through the entire lab. This was not a heating stove, but rather an oven used in the process of their sciences. The magicians could be differentiated from the white-robed scholars by their black robes with white sashes just like Balthazar.

  A familiar voice called out, “Balthazar!”

  Two black-robed magicians came running at him, one tall and thin, the other smaller and stout.

  “Melchior! Gaspar!”

  The three magi collided in a trio of embrace.

  Gaspar said, “I told you he would come for us.”

  Melchior said, “You did not. You said he would never find us.”

  “Yes, but that meant he would be looking for us.”

  “Gaspar, that is not what you meant.”

  “So, now you are a reader of minds?”

  “Quiet, you two,” said Balthazar. But then he smiled. “On second thought, bicker away. It is long-lost music to my ears.”

  They laughed and hugged one another tighter.

  Balthazar pulled away and looked at Gaspar in his outfit. “So, I see they are feeding you well for your efforts.”

  Gaspar smiled. “They have the most exotic of delicacies you can imagine! Sea creatures that will astound your taste buds! Their bread is called ‘rice’ and they grow it in huge fields of water. We eat it with everything. They even make wine from it.”

  Balthazar smiled. “Unfortunately, I understand the only drink the emperor is interested in is an elixir of immortality.”

  The other two became sober.

  “From what I can see of this emperor’s determination, if we do not help these scholars and magicians to come up with it, you two will not have each other to squabble with anymore.”

  The two brothers noticed Chang. Balthazar said, “This is Chang Shen, the one left for dead at Babylon.”

  They exchanged bows with hands firmly clasped before them. Gaspar said, “He wasn’t there when we were fighting.”

  “We were not the only ones fighting, moron,” said Melchior. He changed the subject, “Does he understand our Greek?”

  “Better than I do his Ch’inese.”

  Melchior said, “We have learned it quickly from necessity.”

  Balthazar added, “He has been quite a help to us. I think he is a Hellenist at heart. He is enraptured with Aristotle.”

  The brothers smiled.

  Chang spoke in Greek with sad eyes, “I humbly apologize for your inconvenience. The emperor has punished the general who kidnapped you for his disobedience.”

  Balthazar drew his finger across his throat. “They were supposed to bribe you.”

  Chang pulled in close and whispered, “But do not believe everything the emperor tells you.”

  The three looked at each other with surprise. Perhaps they had an ally in this fellow scholar.

  The lead magician approached them, an intense fifty five-year old man with a long beard and penetrating eyes. Magicians wore colorful robes with swirling patterns. Anything to promote their mystery and esoteric arts.

  Chang said, “This is Xu Fu, the chief magician.” He turned to Xu Fu. “This is Balthazar, their chief magician, they call magi.”

  They exchanged more bows and Xu Fu said, “Then we are fellow scholars and magicians united across worlds. Please take time and introduce your fellow magi to our processes.” He pulled Chang aside to discuss some pressing issues.

  Melchior took over with excitement. “You will never believe this, Balthazar. Their knowledge is not that different from our own.”

  Gaspar interrupted like an excited child. “They have astrology just like us, but their medicine is different. They stick needles into their body to cure diseases!”

  “Gaspar,” complained Melchior. “Will you please let me finish?”

  “Sorry.”

  Melchior said, “We’ll talk about the astrology later. But regarding this elixir of immortality, they have some strange ideas. First off, their base elements of the cosmos are somewhat different than ours. Where we have four: earth, wind, fire and water, they have five; earth, water, fire, wood and metal. But they too believe in the unity of heaven and earth. They call it the Tao. It means, “The Way,” and it is the life force that is embedded in all things and connects all things in oneness.”

  Gaspar blurted out, “Tell him about yin and yang.”

  Melchior glared at Gaspar. “Well, why don’t you just tell him, since you seem so intent upon stealing my thunder, mighty mumbling Marduk?”

  Gaspar jumped at the chance. “All right. The yin and yang are the complementary principles that—”

  Now Melchior interrupted, “On second thought, I better finish it or you will confuse Balthazar with your excursions into observational minutia.”

  Gaspar frowned. Melchior continued. “The yin and yang are complementary principles that create all reality. They are opposites that transform into one another. Yin signifies the passive female and yang signifies the active male. Alchemy is turning an element into its opposite. Yin into yang, or vice versa.”

  Balthazar could see the various stations of scientists melting or burning some elements with small flames, others mixing them with liquids to dissolve. Still others crushing and mashing herbs and other substances together.

  Balthazar said, “This is all quite similar to our Hermetic tradition from Egypt.”

  “Exactly,” said Melchior. “But with some differences. Come over here.”

  He dragged Balthazar over to a large container of reddish brown earth. He grabbed a handful of it. “This is cinnabar. They believe it to be the sacred opposite of quicksilver and gold, both life-giving elements. If consumed in tiny doses, they believe both will bring longevity, if too big a dose, it brings death. They have used smelting to transform it into quicksilver, but have not achie
ved gold.”

  Balthazar said, “The philosopher’s stone.”

  The other two magi nodded with agreement.

  The philosopher’s stone was the western tradition’s concept for the same pursuit of turning base metals like lead into artificial drinkable gold that would bring about not only enlightenment and wisdom, but immortality.

  Balthazar asked, “How do they test their prescriptions?”

  Melchior said with a hush, “On unwitting slaves, I’m afraid.”

  Gaspar added darkly, “Many have died.”

  Balthazar saw a man in a strange-looking puffy suit that covered his entire body like a big mitt. He approached the fiery furnace to withdraw some stone pots with liquefied elements in them.

  Gaspar said, “That man is wearing a strange fibrous substance that is impervious to the flames and can protect them from the heat. Their experiments have yielded many such accidents of discovery.”

  Melchior said, “Xu Fu has achieved only mild success with quicksilver, sulfur and arsenic. He believes these can extend the emperor’s life, so they are feeding him tiny amounts of all three.”

  Gaspar smiled deviously. “But the emperor is not getting younger, he is getting sicker. He suffers from migraines, tremors, nausea, and rashes.”

  Melchior added, “Xu Fu believes those are signs that his mortality is leaving him.”

  Balthazar grinned with pleasure. “Well, then by all means, let us continue the treatment.”

  CHAPTER 16

  Antiochus awakened in his guest room. It was decorated as the rest of the palace was, a large bed with canopy on poles carved with dragons and fluid characters of unknown stories. Wooden carved lattices, marble floor, gold handles, exotic tapestries, ornamentation on everything. It was like living inside a fable, surrounded by story and image.

  He washed, and dressed in robes provided by their host. It felt strange at first, but it began to grow on him.