This was my last piece of work before I departed for the Gulf. A tribute to all my friends,8 years of freindship have served to make us urban legends. I will never understand the origin of the idea, but this is definitely the precursor of bigger things to come. To all who know and understand, you will forever remain in my memory...for as long as I dwell on this earth.
Topic: History of the Ming Dynasty
Origins
Countless discrepancies have emerged to the exact date of the Ming Dynasty�s rise to dominance in the Central Plains. According to archaeological discoveries found in AHS, much of the prehistoric events have been recorded in the Yellow diary, supposedly a written account by the Royal Prime Minister himself. Of the Golden Age, the Annals and Jokes of the Jester contain accurate and descriptive information of the lives, culture, religion and entertainment of the people who lived during that period.
According to records, the Ming were a warring faction, among the many states that battled for supremacy during the Spring Autumn period of 1996-1997. Legend says that a young restless warlord, Vincent, whose Chinese name is the �Enlightened One�, eradicated all other claimants to the throne when the young Emperor (Xiao Bai) of the White Dynasty abdicated. Arguments have been raised over the legitimacy of the claim, for the province of Ming was a harsh militant state and its leader bore no blood ties with the Royal family.
Political system
Upon acquisition of the 4 four regions, A political system was rapidly established. Under the expert counsel and administration of PM Wong, whose name in the ancient Chinese means Pillar of the Nation, various appointments and titles were conferred upon all the loyal subjects and tributaries. The empire consisted of 2 chambers, the East and the West. This segregation was necessary as the generals often came into conflict with the interests of the state, resulting in numerous uprisings and demonstrations in the capital. The maiden�s chamber, built in 1998 by the Emperor and PM in honor of the Empress, is one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world and remains a national monument to this day.
Hierarchy
VC (Emperor, Enlightened One)
Head of state and Commander-in Chief of the royal army, he is loud, arrogant and an egomaniac.
A reckless individual who kills and loves without warning, was rumored to have taken many wives and consorts, none of which bore him an heir. The only Empress, EQ I abdicated the throne on the spring of 2001. However, the royal seal has not been changed and she still remains the official bearer of the title.
EAST CHAMBER
The east chamber, chamber of the rising sun, is the official residence and office of the Prime Minister, and the various eunuchs, magistrates and cabinet members. It forms the ears and eyes of the empire, and has full control of all state affairs. There always existed a power struggle between the insidious east and the militant west chamber, but the political game has always been played to the PM�s advantage
GD (Prime Minister, Royal Treasurer)
Author of the Yellow Diary, a collection of jokes and events depicting courtroom life is an excellent administrator of the Empire�s assets. Self-obsessed, cunning, manipulative and a total hypocrite, he schemed his way to power and was suspected of plotting the rebellions and civil unrests during the later years of the empire. Was accused of several assassination attempts on the emperor but never failed to sentence a scapegoat to the gallows. His famous saying � die without knowing why� has become a powerful doctrine of the 36 strategies.
SD (Defense Minister)
Once the most dangerous figure of the Imperial Army, he has formerly retired and oversees all military operations and national security. Although he has laid down his arms since his conversion to Christianity, legend says that he ripped the skin of a foolish barbarian who challenged him to battle during the Golden Age, leaving him dry to the bone. He was known to be harsh and unforgiving, and on numerous occasions had the court Jester tortured for his own sadistic pleasure.
LSX (Tibetan Prince, Black King)
The emperor himself personally recruited the ruler of the Northern provinces. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Tibetan Prince has gained prominence within the east chamber. Known to be threat to the PM, the prince is a quiet and unpredictable character, often seen walking alone in the capital and laughing at weird things. However his loyalty has taken him far and wide, as he has often been seen with the emperor in many expeditions involving beer, billiards and peanut shells.
JG (Court Jester, Naval admiral, Royal Scribe)
At the tender age of 14, the young village boy who belonged to the Untouchables Caste was captured by the wicked magistrate VT and sent to the School Of Eunuchs for training. There have been many conflicting reports about his manhood. Some say he was castrated, others say he escaped the terrible ordeal and was taken under the tutelage of the PM, who taught him much in politics and court etiquette. Has suffered many tortures and accusations due to a lack of tact in his jokes, but remains the PM�s most trusted aide. He has penned numerous works notably �Memoirs of a Ladyboy� in revenge of magistrate VT. Assumed command of the fleet in 2003 and will be traveling to the West to expand the empire.
VT (Magistrate of the Mao province)
Extremely intelligent but a complete bootlicker, the diminutive official sucked his way up into the east chamber, only to have his dirty plot exposed when he offended the PM in the fall of 2002. Has deflected to neighboring kingdoms on many occasions, but was never branded a traitor, mainly because of his favor with the Emperor. Since his downfall, he has made countless attempts to be reinstated, without much success. Officially declared as the archenemy of the Jester, he was finally banished from the empire. He was last seen as the royal adviser to the Imperial house of Rongming, a neighboring state in the east that hasn�t made war with the Ming yet.
SUPREME COURT OF JUSTICE
The High court of justice can be attributed solely to one man, CKH. To quell the rebellion in the summer of 2001, he rapidly retired from his post as Commander of the White banner in the West chamber to establish a code of rules and regulations within the empire.
CKH (Justice How)
The supreme Judge is a quiet and decisive man with a high level of impartiality, even towards the emperor himself. He threatened to hang the jester and burn the Yellow Diary, because of its sexually offensive content, but failed because the book was of historical significance. He now handles all the cases and disputes within the east and west chamber, and his judging skills can be compared to the legendary Bao Gong.
QS (Royal Guard, Imperial squirrel)
Body guard of the supreme Judge and caretaker of all the execution tools, he has been a faithful warrior and childhood friend of the emperor since the dark ages. Unfortunately, he is cursed with a streak of bad luck, according to the villagers who are compulsive gamblers. There is a story about a farmer who saw him playing dice on the gambling table, and struck a fortune, solely because he bought �small� while the royal guard staked all his day�s wages on �big�. Since then the royal guard has become the favorite of the masses, because they reap from his misfortune.
WEST CHAMBER
The military arm of the Ming dynasty is crude and mostly barbaric (except for Duke JC who has royal lineage and once contested for the hand of a royal princess) Led by supreme Commander AC, they are blind followers of the Emperor and will commit the traditional �hari-kiri� or suicide when left to the last man. Strong, powerful but politically dull, they have been prevented from gaining prominence during the later years of the empire. The men love liquor and beer, and are favorite companions of the emperor to brothels and bars.
AC (Supreme Commander)
The leader of the Emperor�s army single-handedly conquered the Javanese islands during his heyday. A valiant warrior but poor strategist he often lead his armies in insane raids to neighboring villages and provinces, raping their women and enslaving their children. Old and well in his years, he has moved into semi-retirement ever since he transferred duties to General JM, commander of the Red flag. He now spends his time in a humble farm with a simple farm girl whom he hopes to take as his wife.
JM (Commander of the Red Flag)
The acting supreme commander is a charismatic and influential leader who has been instrumental in restoring law and order to the army. His soldiers who run under the red flag are the best trained and delight to the emperor. A superb athlete, he has been a competitor of the Imperial Games for many seasons, bringing pride and glory to the Empire.
JX (Commander of the Black flag)
Possessing the strength of a beast and the voice of a god, the black commander was also the emperor�s classmate when they were enlisted into the monastery during childhood. With a high level of intelligence and perception, he has gained the respect of the PM, a privilege granted to few in the West chamber. He also has developed weapons of mass destruction in the form of large cannons and bombs designed with the shape of his head.
KT (Commander of the White flag)
The leader of the Imperial Guards, he was appointed to be the Emperor�s personal bodyguard. Hoarding immense wealth from all the conquests, he is known to be generous with his money and has ceded loans to the east chamber on many occasions, for very dubious and strange reasons. Quiet but strong, he continues to serve the emperor personally and is now training new assassins for him.
DM (Commander of the Dark knights)
Known also as the �heavenly king� for his rich singing voice during royal events, the cavalry general has also been a favorite of the PM, who once was so pleased with him that he gave him a stable of horses to build his cavalry and a cage of birds to sing with him. Passionate about his talent, he continues to sing, even when his fighting or killing someone.
JC (Duke of the 1st Regiment)
The only scholar in the West chamber is a brilliant planner and a ladies man. Educated in the West and trained in the science of engineering he is the pride of the west chamber but the object of ridicule by the PM and the East chamber. His potential as a good husband and royal heritage won him the affections of a court princess, but that like what the old people say�is only a rumor. He now commands a small army and is happily married to a woman of unknown status.
MAIDEN�S CHAMBER
There have been few sources of the legendary maiden�s chamber, whose surpassing beauty made it one of the 7 wonders of the world. The Yellow diary gives vague accounts of its construction and life there, as most of the stories tell of men dressed in women�s clothes making love with the Emperor. However, excavations at AHS have uncovered a wealth of information, including a written tablet by the court jester, who as a eunuch in training was the cupbearer of the empress for a short period of time. According to him, the Emperor VC built it in 1998, during the inauguration of EQ I as Queen of the Empire. It also says that the chamber was a secluded place, where the empress and the court princesses resided and only the Emperor and PM had complete access to it. Many great beauties lived there, notably the Empress and the Snow princess. Today the palace has been reconstructed and is a national monument.
EQ I (Empress)
Hand picked by the emperor after he assumed control of the Central Plains, her reign as empress has been marked as the Golden Age of the Ming Dynasty. She was not his first wife, or so the bastard child of the disposed queen VO I claims. The empress herself was ambitious and vain, but she showed great favor to the PM and his aide, the royal jester. She abdicated the throne in the spring 2001, resulting in a series of political scandals and internal unrest within the empire, for she was well loved by the citizens. The PM acted as regent while Emperor Vincent became an invalid upon her departure. As such the royal seal was preserved and no woman has yet laid claim to the throne.
CSN (Snow princess)
Cold, aloof but a faithful friend of the empress, the snow princess locked up the maiden�s chamber during her abdication and ceded the keys to the PM to prevent incursions from the emperor and his imperial army. A woman of great beauty and intelligence, legend says that many, many men have bled for her but could never warm her heart. Having a voice of a bird, her songs could still be heard in the chamber to this very day.
Topic: History of the Ming Dynasty
Origins
Countless discrepancies have emerged to the exact date of the Ming Dynasty�s rise to dominance in the Central Plains. According to archaeological discoveries found in AHS, much of the prehistoric events have been recorded in the Yellow diary, supposedly a written account by the Royal Prime Minister himself. Of the Golden Age, the Annals and Jokes of the Jester contain accurate and descriptive information of the lives, culture, religion and entertainment of the people who lived during that period.
According to records, the Ming were a warring faction, among the many states that battled for supremacy during the Spring Autumn period of 1996-1997. Legend says that a young restless warlord, Vincent, whose Chinese name is the �Enlightened One�, eradicated all other claimants to the throne when the young Emperor (Xiao Bai) of the White Dynasty abdicated. Arguments have been raised over the legitimacy of the claim, for the province of Ming was a harsh militant state and its leader bore no blood ties with the Royal family.
Political system
Upon acquisition of the 4 four regions, A political system was rapidly established. Under the expert counsel and administration of PM Wong, whose name in the ancient Chinese means Pillar of the Nation, various appointments and titles were conferred upon all the loyal subjects and tributaries. The empire consisted of 2 chambers, the East and the West. This segregation was necessary as the generals often came into conflict with the interests of the state, resulting in numerous uprisings and demonstrations in the capital. The maiden�s chamber, built in 1998 by the Emperor and PM in honor of the Empress, is one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world and remains a national monument to this day.
Hierarchy
VC (Emperor, Enlightened One)
Head of state and Commander-in Chief of the royal army, he is loud, arrogant and an egomaniac.
A reckless individual who kills and loves without warning, was rumored to have taken many wives and consorts, none of which bore him an heir. The only Empress, EQ I abdicated the throne on the spring of 2001. However, the royal seal has not been changed and she still remains the official bearer of the title.
EAST CHAMBER
The east chamber, chamber of the rising sun, is the official residence and office of the Prime Minister, and the various eunuchs, magistrates and cabinet members. It forms the ears and eyes of the empire, and has full control of all state affairs. There always existed a power struggle between the insidious east and the militant west chamber, but the political game has always been played to the PM�s advantage
GD (Prime Minister, Royal Treasurer)
Author of the Yellow Diary, a collection of jokes and events depicting courtroom life is an excellent administrator of the Empire�s assets. Self-obsessed, cunning, manipulative and a total hypocrite, he schemed his way to power and was suspected of plotting the rebellions and civil unrests during the later years of the empire. Was accused of several assassination attempts on the emperor but never failed to sentence a scapegoat to the gallows. His famous saying � die without knowing why� has become a powerful doctrine of the 36 strategies.
SD (Defense Minister)
Once the most dangerous figure of the Imperial Army, he has formerly retired and oversees all military operations and national security. Although he has laid down his arms since his conversion to Christianity, legend says that he ripped the skin of a foolish barbarian who challenged him to battle during the Golden Age, leaving him dry to the bone. He was known to be harsh and unforgiving, and on numerous occasions had the court Jester tortured for his own sadistic pleasure.
LSX (Tibetan Prince, Black King)
The emperor himself personally recruited the ruler of the Northern provinces. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Tibetan Prince has gained prominence within the east chamber. Known to be threat to the PM, the prince is a quiet and unpredictable character, often seen walking alone in the capital and laughing at weird things. However his loyalty has taken him far and wide, as he has often been seen with the emperor in many expeditions involving beer, billiards and peanut shells.
JG (Court Jester, Naval admiral, Royal Scribe)
At the tender age of 14, the young village boy who belonged to the Untouchables Caste was captured by the wicked magistrate VT and sent to the School Of Eunuchs for training. There have been many conflicting reports about his manhood. Some say he was castrated, others say he escaped the terrible ordeal and was taken under the tutelage of the PM, who taught him much in politics and court etiquette. Has suffered many tortures and accusations due to a lack of tact in his jokes, but remains the PM�s most trusted aide. He has penned numerous works notably �Memoirs of a Ladyboy� in revenge of magistrate VT. Assumed command of the fleet in 2003 and will be traveling to the West to expand the empire.
VT (Magistrate of the Mao province)
Extremely intelligent but a complete bootlicker, the diminutive official sucked his way up into the east chamber, only to have his dirty plot exposed when he offended the PM in the fall of 2002. Has deflected to neighboring kingdoms on many occasions, but was never branded a traitor, mainly because of his favor with the Emperor. Since his downfall, he has made countless attempts to be reinstated, without much success. Officially declared as the archenemy of the Jester, he was finally banished from the empire. He was last seen as the royal adviser to the Imperial house of Rongming, a neighboring state in the east that hasn�t made war with the Ming yet.
SUPREME COURT OF JUSTICE
The High court of justice can be attributed solely to one man, CKH. To quell the rebellion in the summer of 2001, he rapidly retired from his post as Commander of the White banner in the West chamber to establish a code of rules and regulations within the empire.
CKH (Justice How)
The supreme Judge is a quiet and decisive man with a high level of impartiality, even towards the emperor himself. He threatened to hang the jester and burn the Yellow Diary, because of its sexually offensive content, but failed because the book was of historical significance. He now handles all the cases and disputes within the east and west chamber, and his judging skills can be compared to the legendary Bao Gong.
QS (Royal Guard, Imperial squirrel)
Body guard of the supreme Judge and caretaker of all the execution tools, he has been a faithful warrior and childhood friend of the emperor since the dark ages. Unfortunately, he is cursed with a streak of bad luck, according to the villagers who are compulsive gamblers. There is a story about a farmer who saw him playing dice on the gambling table, and struck a fortune, solely because he bought �small� while the royal guard staked all his day�s wages on �big�. Since then the royal guard has become the favorite of the masses, because they reap from his misfortune.
WEST CHAMBER
The military arm of the Ming dynasty is crude and mostly barbaric (except for Duke JC who has royal lineage and once contested for the hand of a royal princess) Led by supreme Commander AC, they are blind followers of the Emperor and will commit the traditional �hari-kiri� or suicide when left to the last man. Strong, powerful but politically dull, they have been prevented from gaining prominence during the later years of the empire. The men love liquor and beer, and are favorite companions of the emperor to brothels and bars.
AC (Supreme Commander)
The leader of the Emperor�s army single-handedly conquered the Javanese islands during his heyday. A valiant warrior but poor strategist he often lead his armies in insane raids to neighboring villages and provinces, raping their women and enslaving their children. Old and well in his years, he has moved into semi-retirement ever since he transferred duties to General JM, commander of the Red flag. He now spends his time in a humble farm with a simple farm girl whom he hopes to take as his wife.
JM (Commander of the Red Flag)
The acting supreme commander is a charismatic and influential leader who has been instrumental in restoring law and order to the army. His soldiers who run under the red flag are the best trained and delight to the emperor. A superb athlete, he has been a competitor of the Imperial Games for many seasons, bringing pride and glory to the Empire.
JX (Commander of the Black flag)
Possessing the strength of a beast and the voice of a god, the black commander was also the emperor�s classmate when they were enlisted into the monastery during childhood. With a high level of intelligence and perception, he has gained the respect of the PM, a privilege granted to few in the West chamber. He also has developed weapons of mass destruction in the form of large cannons and bombs designed with the shape of his head.
KT (Commander of the White flag)
The leader of the Imperial Guards, he was appointed to be the Emperor�s personal bodyguard. Hoarding immense wealth from all the conquests, he is known to be generous with his money and has ceded loans to the east chamber on many occasions, for very dubious and strange reasons. Quiet but strong, he continues to serve the emperor personally and is now training new assassins for him.
DM (Commander of the Dark knights)
Known also as the �heavenly king� for his rich singing voice during royal events, the cavalry general has also been a favorite of the PM, who once was so pleased with him that he gave him a stable of horses to build his cavalry and a cage of birds to sing with him. Passionate about his talent, he continues to sing, even when his fighting or killing someone.
JC (Duke of the 1st Regiment)
The only scholar in the West chamber is a brilliant planner and a ladies man. Educated in the West and trained in the science of engineering he is the pride of the west chamber but the object of ridicule by the PM and the East chamber. His potential as a good husband and royal heritage won him the affections of a court princess, but that like what the old people say�is only a rumor. He now commands a small army and is happily married to a woman of unknown status.
MAIDEN�S CHAMBER
There have been few sources of the legendary maiden�s chamber, whose surpassing beauty made it one of the 7 wonders of the world. The Yellow diary gives vague accounts of its construction and life there, as most of the stories tell of men dressed in women�s clothes making love with the Emperor. However, excavations at AHS have uncovered a wealth of information, including a written tablet by the court jester, who as a eunuch in training was the cupbearer of the empress for a short period of time. According to him, the Emperor VC built it in 1998, during the inauguration of EQ I as Queen of the Empire. It also says that the chamber was a secluded place, where the empress and the court princesses resided and only the Emperor and PM had complete access to it. Many great beauties lived there, notably the Empress and the Snow princess. Today the palace has been reconstructed and is a national monument.
EQ I (Empress)
Hand picked by the emperor after he assumed control of the Central Plains, her reign as empress has been marked as the Golden Age of the Ming Dynasty. She was not his first wife, or so the bastard child of the disposed queen VO I claims. The empress herself was ambitious and vain, but she showed great favor to the PM and his aide, the royal jester. She abdicated the throne in the spring 2001, resulting in a series of political scandals and internal unrest within the empire, for she was well loved by the citizens. The PM acted as regent while Emperor Vincent became an invalid upon her departure. As such the royal seal was preserved and no woman has yet laid claim to the throne.
CSN (Snow princess)
Cold, aloof but a faithful friend of the empress, the snow princess locked up the maiden�s chamber during her abdication and ceded the keys to the PM to prevent incursions from the emperor and his imperial army. A woman of great beauty and intelligence, legend says that many, many men have bled for her but could never warm her heart. Having a voice of a bird, her songs could still be heard in the chamber to this very day.
