The centuries old traditions of Beijuo have served as pillars of faith for the people and justification for lordship, but it was believed that this system would only prosper through a harmonious balance. While the wheels of time continued to turn, so too did Beijuo and its society. Years of in fighting and struggle for control crippled the nation socially and financially, bringing about an age of war unseen for hundreds of years. Using the very same justification that had served the land for hundreds of years, Yuan Li, a self-declared god-on-earth, ascended to the head of the state and sought to restore an empire on the brink of dissolution. At the top of five marble steps stood a tall man in a fine pressed black suit which fit perfectly upon his body and was complimented by a white shirt and black tie. His polished, black shoes shined and a large golden ring red gems on his right hand glistened in the light, which emanated from the various windows at the top of the large hall, as he outstretched his arms to both of his sides. Below him was a shorter, older gentleman with neatly groomed gray hair, a pair of expensive glasses resting upon his bridge, and a yellow tape in his hands which he carefully extended from the pit of each arm to the cuffs of the blazer. Just across the hall opened two massive, oaken doors with ornate traditional designs. In stepped a lone individual who walked gracefully along the marble floor with his head held high, announced by the guards at the door as Marquis of Zhangdang. With him was an envelope that was clasped gently within the grip of his glove-covered fingers. He arrived just feet away from the five steps and bowed deeply with a respectful address to the man above. "Lord Yuan. I bring word from my lords at Zhangdang. They humbly request your blessings for the proposed amendments to the law. His grace, Xiao Lun, respectfully requests an audience to discu-" Yuan quietly interjected, curling his fingers, holding up only two to face the marquis. "I'm all done, my lord," stated the tailor as he bowed and stepped away. The young man lowered his arms and looked down from the top of the steps with a plain look upon his face. He slowly approached the marquis until he stood no further than a foot away with his dark eyes fixed upon his guests', breaking the gaze momentarily to glance shortly at the envelope down below. A quick stream of air rushed into and out of Yuan's nose as inhaled and left out a short yet heavy sigh. "The lords of Zhangdang wish to bring changes to the laws of the republic?" questioned Yuan. "Yes, that is correct, my lord." Shifting to the right, Yuan walked slowly around to the marquis' side. His brows curled inward while his eyes remained focused upon the guest and his left cheek pulled back the corner of his hips. The marquis' own eyes glanced at Yuan and then looked away as he gulped, bringing the envelope up to his torso and placing his second hand upon it. "What are these... proposals the lords of Zhangdang wish to offer?" Yuan asked as he continued pacing around the marquis. "These proposals will re-examine taxes and the nation's social welfare in an attempt to bring both balance to the people of Beijuo as well as maintain the economic might of our private sector and the continued growth of the economy." Yuan nodded, bringing his right hand to his face and slowly wiped his chin with his fingers before stopping in front of his guest. A short smile appeared upon his face as he looked upon the marquis, who returned the smile in kind. Yet his smile was cut short after the young man raised his hand against him and struck him hard across the right cheek, cracking his cheekbone with the massive ring. As the marquis tumbled to the ground holding his bloodied face, Yuan stepped on the envelope fuming with terrible anger. "You fool! The lords of Zhangdang wish to propose a change to my laws? My laws! Marcus, I ask you now, who was it that cost us the allegiance of the Maladines fifty years ago?" Marcus struggled to respond, "The lords of Zhangdang..." "Who was it that cost us our territorial holds in the Treaty of Curai? Hm?" "The lords of Zhangdang..." "Who was it that listened to the immoral and irrational teachings of Sun Jai Lee and incited an illegitimate rebellion in the north which threatened to tear this land apart five years ago?" Marcus continued to hold his face in pain, looking down shamefully, "The lords... of Zhangdang..." "The Lords of Zhangdang! The blasted lords of Zhangdang! I will be damned if I allow those mongrels to ever, ever have their way; for it was those heretics in north who befoul and defile our great empire. They are the corrupted, immoral officials who poison the minds of our governors and the progeny of our people by squandering the nation's wealth and allowing them to fall into ruin. By all rights I should have them all hanged and the entire province's governance dissolved so I can throw the whole lot of your people into the depths of slavery for their subversion! But fear not, Marcus, for I show you favor enough to continue to grant Zhangdang mercy on your behalf. They will be spared of such pain and remorse which the nation still clamors for; that same thirst for blood the old crags of the oligarchy so desired before I cast them out. No, your grace, Zhangdang's vacuous proposals will never see the light of day. It was not your treacherous lords, nor any other who restored hope for our economy. It was a careful plan of divine design, my design, and it will continue to be by my will and my divine word alone that the law will change. Yuan reached down and snatched the envelope from the ground. With both hands, and a twist of the body, he quickly tore the sheath and its contents in half and then mucked them onto Marcus which stained several of the white sheets with blood. Then Yuan leaned down and pointed with a finger, "You tell your lords that the dark spell they have cast upon Beijuo will not last forever and the former harmony that once blessed this land has not been forgotten!" he exclaimed before bowing with open arms and a fierce expression, "Your grace..." He turned his back on the marquis and marched to the end of the hall, passing through the large oaken doors and turned the corner to carry out his duties.
"I don't see, exactly, why Lord Tyber wishes to expand upon the arms manufacturing market when it is already a global giant. If we were to continually increase its capacity we might begin to see the effects of diminishing returns. That is the last thing Beijuo needs, especially now that we've turned around our market," stated Felix Moran, and older, heavyset gentleman with a long, white beard. "Lord Tyber does not wish to expand and produce to such an extent to where we take a loss, your grace," responded Zhou Liu, a man barely in his thirties wearing a dark blue designer suit, "It is his intent that Beijuo simply maximize its potential within the market it is most competent." Several other men and women who sat at a long, wooden table in black office chairs turned to one another, discussing the current debate in a conference room. Although the loud voices of those in the room filled the air with solutions and alternative actions, Lady San, an older woman in traditional ears, stood and waved her hand in the air making a face of disapproval. The chatter slowly dissipated as everyone's attention was drawn to her as she leaned forward and placed her hands on the table top with her eyes closed. She let out a heavy sigh and licked her lips before opening her eyes and glancing upward to meet the stares of the others. "What we need is a comprehensive plan that will ensure that this wealth does not go solely to the government for defense, policing, and administration, but also toward nation building." The members of the chamber nodded in agreement, looking upon one another and then back to Lady San. "But how can we when the nation itself is still crippled and while the usurper tyrant remains in control?" shouted Lord Shou at the end of the table. "You hold your tongue, serpent!" rebuking the older man, "If that 'tyrant' had not assumed control of our government Beijuo would have surely collapsed. Besides, as I recall, you yourself are also to be held responsible for putting him in his position. Know your place!" Her cold words were enough of a spark to ignite fire and sent the conference room into a heated argument within the entire chamber. Members of each seat rallied to each side, with some even contending for or against both sides. Yet this was not new to the government of Beijuo, as it had been the norm for more than one hundred years, which was often the argumentative point on which the decline of the nation rested; though it was generally agreed that the changes imposed by Yuan were vastly greater than the old oligarchy and presented the nation with greater possibilities. However, at the rate they were going, the conference would yet against solve nothing. The doors at the end of the conference room opened and the ceremonial guard slammed the end of his lance onto the floor announcing, "His Holiness, the Duke of Chibei, Yuan Li!" Immediately, the argument ceased and each member stood upright, bowing deeply with respect Yuan who entered the chamber and made his way to his seat at the end of the table. He pulled the chair from the desk and looked upon the gathering, staring them down as they remain bowed without looking away from the table in the slightest. Yuan slowly sat and brought his chair forward, resting his arms upon the table top and folding his hands together just before the others followed suit and turned their attention to him. "Ladies and Lords, with the economy well-recovered, it is time we begin to address the issue of social welfare within Beijuo." Lady San sneered at Lord Shou, who narrowed his eyes back at her with contempt. "For too long has the government sat idly by and allowed its people to fall into destitution. Well, your graces, I say no more. From this day forward we will be allocating funds for the benefit of the people, to provide better education for our youth and healthcare for all. To do so, without harming the state treasury, these changes will be funded by each of you." Murmurs cropped upon within the chamber and heads turned toward one another, unsure of Yuan's meaning. "My Lord Yuan, surely you do not expect us to pay exclusively," questioned Zhou. "No, your grace. Taxes will continue to be collected. Allow me to make it clear to you, since you, and likely many more in this room, do not understand my meaning. New social programs and strengthening of our public education and medicine will be funded by all, but especially by all of you who are hereby subject to an income reduction of fifty percent, including those other officials and nobility not present." The room erupted once more with most of the officials lashing out in an uproar against Yuan. Yuan stood and continued, "Furthermore, it shall be declared, that neither officials nor noble persons of Beijuo shall subvert this decree under penalty of death!" Cries of anger and foul obscenities spewed forward in objection to Yuan's orders. It had been two hundred fifty two years since a single individual wielded so much power in himself that the thought of an absolutist had hardly crossed contemporary minds. Yet with Yuan's grip upon the government, the state was becoming increasingly totalitarian. Though the officials heatedly contended his decrees, none yielded an ounce of his widespread influence among the military as he made his ascension through combat during the Northern Rebellion. With his influence within the military and increasing popularity among the people, the officials in the chamber had no other choice than to submit.
Elsewhere in the capital walked three individuals in a flowery courtyard, with elegant fountains running with crystal clear water and air filled with the chipper tune of birds. The light, puffy clouds cast a brief shadow over the lush garden, allowing just enough sunlight to shine down upon the trio as they sauntered down the pathway. The woman adjusted her jacket as she looked down at a clipboard in her hands which was holding several documents along with a stylized black and gold ink pen, while the man in the middle of the trio slowly came to a stop. Barely noticing the change, the second man turned in surprise briefly looking toward the woman, who seemed to stop and turn almost naturally, and awkwardly straightened out his vest and adjusted his posture. "It certainly is a beautiful day, wouldn't you agree?" "Most certainly, your grace," responded the woman while wearing a pompous smile upon her lips. "Let us imagine that the sky is the republic," he said, as he began pointing toward the various clouds above, "and let us pretend that these clouds are the government, the old regime. Lord Xihou, tell me your thoughts." Lord Xihou looked to the sky and briefly examined the clouds, looking back down at the older man with confusion. He was a tall, well-built man, though not bulky, with fashionable wears in white and green, his hair dark and slicked back, and his face was rather charming as he was typically fawned over by many young women. There was a hint of uneasiness in his eyes, however, when he took view of the older man, who appeared as less than average height, but carried himself as though he were the tallest man alive. Lord Xihou looked back into the sky, shielding his eyes from the bright light with a single hand and tried to make sense of the image, but found nothing that stood out. Once more the man looked down wearing an expression of uncertainty as he wondered what could possibly be on the old man's mind. Nevertheless Lord Xihou decided to humor him and responded with a shrewd smirk. "Your grace, the clouds move steadily across the sky, consuming all in their path and are stopped by none, allowing only the grace of heaven to permeate through their craft." The older man continued to look into the sky, resting his hands behind his back without so much as batting an eye. Further confused by the elder, Lord Xihou's smirk faded and he stepped closer in frustration. "Do you disagree, Lord Quan?" "The clouds flow, but not as you see them," Lord Quan stated in response, "They are separated, fragmented by the worldly quarrels of man. Yet, take notice, your grace, as they move forward and slowly come closer together. Eventually they will become one." "Yes. The government. They are one government, but whatever do you mean?" The blonde woman spoke while reading a document on her clipboard, "He means to say that the oligarchy is no more and that the rule of one is to replace it." Lord Xihou glanced at the woman, looking her up and down, disgusted and unimpressed with her lower station and then looked sharply back to Lord Quan. He shifted his weight and leaned in closer, turning his eyebrows inward and drawing a deep breath. "You can't be serious. You believe that the old regime will give way to an even more archaic form of government and allow the restoration of princes? A return to authoritarian rule? I think not. You're delirious, you old coot. Besides, it would be bad for the welfare of the republic." "The old regime of oligarchy has been dissolved by his holiness, Lord Yuan. In time, the whole state shall effectively bend to his will for the progression of the nation." "You mean to say the dissolution of the legislative-" "I mean to say that the old regime, and the old ways had their chance! We failed. Don't you see that? His holiness has offered Beijuo new light for a bright new future in exchange for absolute power." "Autocracy... are you mad?" questioned Lord Xihou with an angry tone. "These are strange times we yet live in, your grace. Beijuo desperately clings to life by a thread, and sometimes desperate measures are required." Lord Xihou backed away slowly, shaking his head in disbelief and disgust, turning to march away, "The senate shall know of this!" Though Lord Xihou thought he was among friends, he soon found that he had been deceived. Sure that he would meet with the senate to unveil this startling revelation, the young woman withdrew a slim silenced pistol from her jacket and aimed for the man's back. With a single pull of the trigger, Lord Xihou fell to the ground after being shot in the upper spine. The veins in his face swelled and his face turned red while he strained helplessly on the grass, as Lord Quan and the female assailant approached from behind. The elderly Lord Quan let on a gentle smile and then shook his head, "Sometimes, my friend, we must make sacrifices for the good of the many." Lord Xihou's eyes trailed Lord Quan as he continued his slow journey through the beautiful garden and he groaned in attempt to move his body, but it was no use for his body was paralyzed by the assassin's bullet. Stepping forward, the young woman held the clipboard to her side and aimed the barrel of her pistol toward the base of the fallen lord's skull. There was a slight pause as she took a moment to gaze upon the helpless man with self-interests in mind. Letting out a sigh of regret, the assassin shook her head and gripped the weapon tight. "It's a shame that such a handsome man has to die..." Then, without hesitation, she pulled the trigger.
