A steamy summer day, a few weeks later, Eileen and Jared were in Beijing. Eileen was about to become the president of China, representing her party, the Chinese Civil Rights Movement. They had landed a few days earlier, accompanied by a large NATO force supported by every country, including Russia and Iran. The attack on the UN summit had killed leaders from every country, even former allies of China. This, combined with the infighting among the Columnist Party leadership, meant that China was powerless to fight. Thus, there was no resistance to the invasion aimed at punishing the Chinese leadership for their crimes against humanity.
Jared entered Eileen's room and he noticed that she was crying:
- What's wrong, Honey.
Eileen:
- What is not wrong? I have landed in my home country escorted by a large foreign army. I have sold out China to foreign invaders. This was not how I envisioned the new China without the Columnist Party.
Jared:
- What if your dream was unrealistic? The Columnist Party would never give up without a fight. But with most of their leadership dead from infighting, they couldn't mount a defence against a foreign intervention.
Eileen:
- I know.
Jared:
- And at least you saved most of your followers from Jing Xi. If you hadn't acted, they would all be dead now. There was nothing more you could have done.
Eileen:
- I know. Life goes on. But I don't want to be the unelected president who carries out orders from foreign bankers.
Jared:
- I understand. But someone needs to govern China until there can be general elections. Would you rather have an American General running the country?
Eileen:
- I guess you are right.
- Hey. What do you think about these robes?
Eileen walked over to a mannequin that featured yellow and red silk robes with intricate patterns.
Jared:
- They are very fancy, but they don't look very stateman like.
Eileen:
- I think you're wrong.
- This mantle is a replica of a dress worn by Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty. She was the only reigning empress in Chinese history. She rose from nothing to ruling China during its peak in the 7th Century.
- I want to follow her example and restore China's glory.
Jared:
- But wasn't Wu Zetian a bloodthirsty tyrant?
Eileen:
- It's hard to tell. No ruler believed in human rights during the 7th century. As the only female ruler in Chinese history, she would have scared a lot of men. But the fact that she rose from nothing, and became the only female ruler in Chinese history, has always inspired me.
Jared:
- Very well, Empress Eileen. You better get changed then.
Eileen:
- Yes, and I want you to wear the red robe. The red robe is for the consort of the ruler.
Jared:
- Consort? Is that what I am?
Eileen teased:
- That is, if you want to marry me?
Jared:
- You're driving a tough bargain.
- Okay my empress, let's restore China to glory.
After saying this, they got changed into their Tang Dynasty clothing. Dressed in the exquisite garments they headed to the podium where Eileen would give her inauguration speech.