A Pawn's Passage

In the summer, green became the dominant color.

The climate in Poluo[1] differed greatly from that of the Central Plains, only having two seasons, which were the dry season and the rainy season. The people usually sowed during the rainy season and harvested in the dry months. Some of the islands, being perpetually hot and rainy with dense tropical forests, allowed for planting at any time of the year, yielding harvests in all seasons.

In a sense, this land was far milder than many of the frigid, barren regions elsewhere.

The governance of Poluo could be traced back to the last time the Daoist Order held dominion, before the Confucians’ dominance. Later, the territory was gradually lost again. However, the Wei Dynasty reclaimed Poluo.

During the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Wei Dynasty, they invaded Poluo and established a state, under which were 56 prefectures and 210 counties. Emperor Taizong was a man of great strategic vision. His conquest was not merely an act of military might. It was also a coordinated effort with his naval fleets, turning the region into a base for maritime trade and exchange with the Western nations.

Unfortunately, the local officials of the time were corrupt and incompetent. They were often greedy, cruel, and abusive, so their tyranny provoked large-scale uprisings across Poluo. Internal strife soon followed, leading to a total collapse. To make matters worse, Emperor Taizong’s descendants were weak and indecisive. In the end, Emperor Renzong and his son Emperor Xuanzong eventually abandoned direct rule over Poluo and allowed the native chieftains to establish their own kingdoms as vassal states. From that point onward, the Wei Dynasty no longer governed Poluo directly.

This decision brought a devastating blow to the prestige of the Wei Imperial Court, gravely diminishing the Wei Empire’s authority in Nanyang and undermining its status as a suzerain power. The Wei Dynasty lost control of Nanyang and severed vital channels of communication and trade between the Central Plains and the Western Continent.

During the Great Xuan Dynasty, with the support of the Daoist Order, the Imperial Court once again extended its reach into Poluo. However, the region had long been independent. Its people felt alienated from the Central Plains and were often hostile. Still, the local kingdoms feared the Great Xuan Court’s military might and pledged allegiance. Since the court’s main focus remained on the northern frontier, it did not attempt outright conquest. Instead, it established the Nanting Protectorate, stationing troops in key ports to control the straits and secure the strategic section of Nanyang.

The Great Xuan Court maintained three major protectorates: the Nanting Protectorate, the Beiting Protectorate, and the Xizhou Protectorate.

The Beiting Protectorate referred mainly to the territories once seized by the Golden Horde in the north. After reclaiming them, the Great Xuan Court found the land vast yet sparsely populated, unsuitable for establishing prefectures and counties, so it placed them directly under military governance.

Originally, the Great Xuan Court had planned to establish four protectorates to guard the north, south, east, and west frontiers. However, the Daoist Order wished to avoid intensifying hostilities on the eastern frontier, or Fenglin, to be exact. Thus, they adopted a policy of “unified oversight without direct rule, allowing Chancellor Toyotomi’s Office to govern Fenglin. Thus, there was no need for an Eastern Protectorate.

The Nanting Protectorate differed greatly from the Xizhou Protectorate. Unless a large-scale rebellion or foreign invasion occurred, it would rarely interfere in Poluo’s internal affairs.

The Great Xuan Court did not exercise direct rule over Poluo. However, the Daoist Order had included this cluster of islands and kingdoms within its own sphere of governance, establishing the Poluo Daoist Mansion.

In line with Daoist principles, the Poluo Daoist Mansion refrained from overreaching into the political affairs of the local kingdoms, leaving them a degree of autonomy.

Among the many kingdoms of Poluo, the most powerful was the Yu Kingdom[2]. Even so, it still had to submit memorials of allegiance to the Great Xuan Emperor to request investiture. The Great Xuan Emperor would then bestow on the ruler of the Yu Kingdom the title of King, a rank beneath the Emperor but equivalent to an Imperial Prince.

The Poluo Daoist Mansion was headquartered in Thanglong[3], the capital city of the Yu Kingdom.

A flying ship glided high above the skies of Poluo, cutting across the lush expanse below as it made its way toward Thanglong.

Qi Xuansu gazed through the window of the flying ship and saw an endless ocean of green. Wildlife thrived in this land that was teeming with vitality.

He could not help but recall his very first flight aboard a flying ship. Back then, he had been just another passenger crammed among a hundred others. Now, though he still rode a flying ship, it belonged to him, a personal vessel befitting his new position.

The city of Thanglong was already visible on the horizon.

Seated opposite Qi Xuansu was Yao Shu, the Chief Deputy Ziwei Hall Master.

Naturally, Sage Donghua would not personally escort Qi Xuansu to his post, as that would have been far too flashy, inviting unnecessary speculation from everyone. If he really did so, rumors that Qi Xuansu was Sage Donghua’s illegitimate son would have spread like wildfire.

Still, to show the importance of the assignment, Sage Donghua dispatched Ziwei Hall’s second-in-command, Yao Shu, from the prestigious Yao family.

Yao Shu was Yao Pei’s paternal uncle and a seventh-generation disciple, making him Qi Xuansu’s senior.

More importantly, the two were colleagues within Ziwei Hall. Since Qi Xuansu’s time in Ziwei Hall had been brief, he had seldom interacted with this Chief Deputy Hall Master.

Their journey together had been harmonious enough. At one point, Yao Shu chuckled and joked, “There’s been a whole string of personnel changes in the Daoist Order lately that I’ve barely had a moment’s rest. Just a while ago, I escorted Sage Zhang to the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion. Now I’m seeing you off to the Poluo Daoist Mansion. At this rate, by the time I return, I’ll probably have another journey waiting for me.”

Qi Xuansu said with a smile, “In ordinary times, someone of your rank probably wouldn’t have to step outside for months. It’s just like the difference between the idle season and the busy season for farmers. Right now, we’re in the middle of a busy one.”

Yao Shu nodded. “That’s true enough.”

Soon, the flying ship began its slow descent.

Below was a vast emerald lake known as Guijian Lake, which, according to legend, existed even before the founding of the Yu Kingdom.

It seemed that the first King of the Yu Kingdom discovered one half of a broken sword. Later, he stumbled upon the other half of the broken sword. When he joined them together, the two formed a divine sword.

Armed with the divine sword, he defeated countless armies of the Wei Dynasty and eventually established the Yu Kingdom. One day, while boating upon the lake, a golden tortoise surfaced beside his vessel and spoke to him, telling him to return the sword since the enemy had been vanquished.

At that moment, the sword at the king’s waist quivered free of its scabbard and fell into the tortoise’s mouth. The golden tortoise then dove beneath the water, disappearing into the depths.

The king and his entourage were astounded, believing it to be the manifestation of a god. So, he named the creature the Divine Golden Tortoise. The king had also renamed the lake as Guijian Lake, as Gui meant “return,” and Jian meant “sword.”

In later tales, Immortals were said to have returned the sword once again, leaving its hilt protruding from the water, forming the little pagoda that still stood at the lake’s center.

Guijian Lake now served as the official flying ship port, where flying ships landed and departed.

Officials of the Poluo Daoist Mansion had received word well in advance and were already waiting by the lakeshore to welcome the new arrival.

At their head stood Chen Shuhua, the Chief Deputy Poluo Daoist Mansion Master, and accompanying her were several other Deputy Mansion Masters.

When the ramp was lowered, Yao Shu appeared first, followed by Qi Xuansu.

Chen Shuhua exchanged formal courtesies with Yao Shu before turning to greet Qi Xuansu.

Qi Xuansu discreetly studied his new colleague. She was a female Daoist, likely in her mid-thirties to early forties, with refined features. She lacked Sage Cihang’s poise and imposing aura. Chen Shuhua seemed softer in comparison.

Zhang Yuelu had slender phoenix eyes that rose in just the right arc at the corners, which made her seem regal, sharp, and commanding.

Had they been too elongated, they would have become fox eyes, which were less regal and more sly and alluring.

Chen Shuhua, the Chief Deputy Mansion Master, had a pair of fox eyes, which were particularly memorable to Qi Xuansu.

In a Daoist Mansion, there was a triad balance of power. At the apex was the Mansion Master, while the Chief Deputy and Second Deputy formed the two supporting corners. Qi Xuansu was now the Second Deputy, so he was not subordinate to the Chief Deputy. Rather, he served as her counterbalance or even her rival.

Had Qi Xuansu arrived alone or been accompanied by some lower-ranked Deputy Ziwei Hall Master, Chen Shuhua most likely would not have come to greet him. But the presence of Yao Shu, the Chief Deputy Ziwei Hall Master, elevated the stature of this reception.

It was clear that though Sage Donghua had not come in person, his will was properly conveyed.

The two Poluo Daoist Mansion Masters—Lan Hexu and Wang Jiaohe—awaited the delegation’s arrival at the Sheji Palace at the Poluo Daoist Mansion.

The Sheji Palace was originally a Confucian Temple. When the Daoist Order seized dominance in the East, the Yu Kingdom voluntarily converted the temple into a Daoist Palace without even being told, seeking to curry favor with the Daoist Order. They hoped that with this act of submission, the Daoist Order might refrain from reasserting direct control over Poluo.

Naturally, neither the Daoist Order nor the Great Xuan Court would relinquish Poluo merely for the sake of a single temple. However, given the region’s fragile foundation, complex governance, heavy financial burden, and the potential for political unrest, the Daoist leadership decided to maintain Poluo’s status as a vassal state rather than annex it outright.

Thus, the Daoists graciously accepted the Confucian temple that was repurposed into the Sheji Palace and transformed it into the headquarters of the Poluo Daoist Mansion.

When the carriage procession arrived at the grand gates of the Sheji Palace, two figures stood foremost to receive them—the Great Sage and the Sage of the Poluo Daoist Mansion.

Under normal circumstances, Qi Xuansu’s current rank alone would not warrant a Virtuous Great Sage and an Omniscient Sage coming forth to greet him. Part of it was due to Yao Shu’s presence. But more importantly, rumors had already spread throughout the Poluo Daoist Mansion that Qi Xuansu had arrived on a special assignment, tasked by the higher-ups to reorganize internal factions within the Poluo Daoist Mansion.

Within Daoist bureaucracy, the term “reorganization” was merely a polite euphemism for a purge. When a purge began, heads tended to roll.

In a sense, Qi Xuansu was akin to an envoy dispatched from the Golden Tower Council. So, he bore the authority of the entire Daoist central power. Thus, the entire Poluo Daoist Mansion, from the Mansion Masters to the lowest attendants, received him with utmost solemnity and caution.

1. Modern-day Southeast Asia. Previously, it was translated as ”Borneo”, but I decided to change it to ”Poluo” because the geographical region encompasses modern-day Vietnam. ☜

2. Modern-day Vietnam. ☜

3. Modern-day Hanoi. ☜