***After leaving Jon-Snow's' and 'Lyanna-Stark's' cabin and returning to his. 'Cao-Ce' closed his eyes as he lay down in the hammock in his cabin.. and steadied his breathing.. thus 'transporting' himself back to 'Henan-Province' in 'Ancient-China'.. where the trio had camped for the night on their travels towards the city of Luoyang..***
A.D. 182 'Henan-Province', near Luoyang
/povMC/
As I exited my 'transfer-space' I found myself standing near the fire.. the 'Xiahou-cousins' I made the night before.. the fire is nothing burnt coals and ashes.. now the sun starting to peek over the hills of 'Henan-Province' to open the morning of today..
"Dun!.. Yuan!.. Let's get up and be on our way!.. if we push we can reach the capital by sun-down.. let's make haste before the 'city gates' close for the night!.." I shout to 'rouse' the cousins from their slumbers.
"Yes!.. we do not want to be stuck outside the gates after they close. If we all had a 'steed' like your 'Sleipneir' we could have made the trip in one day.." 'Xiahou-Dun' mentioned..
"I'll be keeping an eye out for suitable mounts for you two. I look after my own. let that be known.." I say to assure the cousins I will find them 'stallions' worthy of them.
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***'Han-Empire', Luoyang***
***Mansion of the Minister of Finance 'Cao-Song'***
/povCao-Cao/
"Piss on Jian Shuo!.. and his fucking 'peasant-ancestors'. I piss on them all!.." I can't help but shout in rage.
There is a curfew at night in the 'capital city'.. one of the emperor's favorite eunuchs 'Jian-Shou's'.. relative was walking through my section of the city that I was in charge of as security.. after curfew.. so I enforced the law as my job demands of me. I beat him with a 'five-colored' stick like my job demands of me.
Yet, now I am forced to resign from office and return home to the farm. I should be killing foreigners!.. Expanding the empire or defending it from nomads!.. not this!..
"Enough!.. I haven't spent all the silver I've been forced to spend.. to clean this mess up!.. all for you to just ruin it all by saying something for someone to hear!.. and then run and report to the very 'eunuchs' you are cursing!.. for gods sake your grandfather 'Cao-Teng' was adopted by a eunuch!.. but you want to go and run to kiss-ass up-to 'Yuan-Shu' and 'Yuan-Shao'!.. we will always be little more than fucking peasants to them!.. that's why we must align ourselves with the eunuchs and rely on the favor of the emperor!.. your actions have 'jeopardized' everything I've worked to build!.. you will return to 'Qiao-County'!.. at least until you are recalled by the 'emperor'.. then you will return.." My father shouts at me.
Reminding me of our ties to the disease rotting the 'Han-Dynasty'.. the Eunuchs.. a favored group of 'palace-servants'.. who have been 'castrated'.. the current 'emperor' uses the 'eunuchs' as his advisors in almost all matters. Even though I know the 'aristocrats' like the 'Yuan-Family'.. are also a disease that plagues the 'Han Dynasty'.
I hear my 'eldest son' has finally recovered from his sickness. They say he has made a full recovery and is even healthier than most children.. gods it feels like it's been so long since I've seen my sons..
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***Back with 'Cao-Ce's' Party traveling to Luoyang***
/povMC/
As we were coming over the crest of a hill.. along the dirt path leading towards our destination.. the 'capital city' of the 'Eastern-Han' Empire. Luoyang was revealed over the horizon.. where it sat 'dead-center' in the fertile 'flatlands' of 'Henan-Province'.
It's enormous.. a humongous 'ancient-Chinese' rectangle 'city-wall' surrounding it.. like a mother surrounding her young to protect them from the predators that wish to devour her offspring.. 'steppe-nomads' from the north and west.. barbarians in the south from the swamps and marshes of the former 'Chu-Empire's' lands.
So many predators on the outside of the city walls. you can't forget about the predators already inside her walls.. roaming freely without worry inside her city.. greedy-ravenous predators known as the 'ten-permanent' Servents or Eunuchs.. then we have the 'wealthy-aristocracy' or the 'gentry-clans' who keep slaves and private-armies by the hundreds.
Doing their bidding.. feeding on the citizens that call her city 'home'.. taking control of her streets.. her self-defense systems and city gates.. their children hold military and civil positions because the wealthy hoard knowledge and the scrolls of teachings passed down by the 'greats' of their times..
I turned to my two 'bodyguard' kin to say. "Fuck!.. can you smell that!?.. not the piss or shit smells.. not the vomit or sex smell that mingles and combines with the winds flowing through this most majestic city!.. no not them. If you smell close enough you will find that certain glorious smell.. of opportunities!.. what a glorious smell it truly is.. chop-chop.. let us make haste!.. I wish to play some music to ease the sufferings of these poor peasants.. let's go.." I tell them as we are passing the 'outer gates' of Luoyang.
"Aye!.. Yes 'Eldest-Grandson'!.. It will be good to see your father 'Mengde'. It has been so long since I killed the scholar of a fool who insulted my teacher and I had to leave our ancestral lands.. to hide from fear of arrest. it's been a long journey.." Dun said as we walked through the 'stone-covered' paths.. making our way to my grandfather's official residence..
As I'm taking in the sights of all the 'medieval peasants' combing through the streets of Luoyang.. I start to play my 'qin' thinking of 'Tyler-Childers' song 'Coal'.. funny thing is.. my middle name is 'Cole'..
So as I was riding my trusty partner 'Sleipneir' along the path.. I opened my mouth to sing.. "Now Gods.. made coal.. for the men.. who sold their lives.. to West 'Luo-yang'..
And you keep.. on diggin' 'til.. you get down.. there where it's.. darker than your.. darkest fears..
And that.. woman in.. the kitchen.. she keeps on cookin'.. but she ain't had meat.. in years..
Just live off bread.. live off hope.. in a pool.. of a million tears..
Now let me tell.. you somethin' 'bout.. the gospel..
And make sure.. that you mark.. it down..
When Gods spoke out.. "Let there be light"..
They put the first.. of us in the ground..
And we'll keep.. on diggin' 'til.. the comin'.. of the Lords..
And Gabriel's.. trumpet sounds..
'Cause if you ain't.. minin' for the company.. boy..
There ain't much.. in this town..
We could've made.. somethin' of ourselves.. out there.. if we'd listened.. to the folks.. that knew..
That coal is.. gonna bury you..
Now it's darker.. than a dungeon..
And it's deeper.. than a well..
So sometimes.. I imagine..
That I'm gettin'.. pretty close.. to hell..
And in my.. darkest hour..
I cry out.. to the Lords..
They say.. "Keep on minin'.. boy..
'Cause that's why.. you were born"..
But we could've made.. somethin' of ourselves.. out there.. if we'd listened.. to the folks.. that knew..
That coal is.. gonna bury you.."
Bam!.. That's all it takes. Now I know for certain that news of an angelic-looking fully armored child.. riding a large black stallion playing the piano and singing through the streets of Luoyang will have spread through its people by next morn'.. that should do it for my first introduction into life of 'Late-Eastern'. 'Han-Empire'.. it is written.