The Emperor's Court - Part Two

Photo by Randall Meng on Unsplash

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Paulanus knelt beside the pond. The carps blew bubbles along the surface, peaking out through the filament to snatch at the flakes of dried food Paulanus scattered for them. The monk had been three days in Luo An, capital of the Middle Kingdom. Chancellor Liu had filled his days with tours of the city and surrounding countryside, meeting with local monks and showing off the might of the army. Paulanus had had little time to simply talk with people, except for a few of the house servants who were eager to learn of the Gods of the Mountain.

A gong rang through the house. A series of rooms that made a square around a garden of ponds and pavilions. A servant rushed across the garden, her slippers brushing against the polished wood floors. Paulanus stood, tossing the remaining fish food into the pond. The carps flicked and fought over the flakes disturbing the calm surface of the pond.

‘Chancellor Liu!’ The servant announced in Paulan…