The art of war is of vital importance to the State.
It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.
Chapter 1: Laying Plans
Li Shang leaned into the giant red pillar framing the doors of the cavernous hall, tapping his foot as he waited.
His eyes traced the inscriptions along the edge of the ceiling, quietly but intently mouthing the ancient proverbs as a gaggle of twittering girls passed through the dormitory entryway.
"… and in uniform too.." An excited squeak echoed amongst the laughter in the halls.
Feeling the heat rise in his cheeks, he clenched his jaw and concentrated on deciphering the golden scribble up above. At the very least, the young lieutenant was intent on seeming engrossed in anything that would allow him to avoid the giggling smiles the young ladies shot his way.
The attention made Shang all the more anxious for his little sister to appear, and for the both of them to leave Li Qingzhao, his younger sister, had completed her second year studying the arts, history and skills necessary to interact as a member of elite society. With any luck, his parents hoped, she would soon sit the palatial examinations and begin a life serving and entertaining the Imperial family – or at the very least Qing would have yet another accolade to secure a respectful husband.
Shang's resolve hardened as yet another pack of ladies filed through the hall. The army officer's stern facade fell, though, as he spied a familiar smile towards the back of the pack. Standing up straight, Shang returned the grin, stepping forward as the willowy young woman began to rush towards him.
"Oh, gēge, I've missed you!" the girl said as she dropped the bags she was carrying, and hugged her elder brother.
"I've missed you too, Qing," Shang chuckled as he embraced his teenage sister.
As the siblings broke apart from their embrace, Shang looked down at the two small bags at her feet.
"Is that all you're bringing?" he asked, one eyebrow raised.
"Yes," Qing responded cautiously as she picked the sacks up. "Why do you ask? I thought I was only coming home for a few days." Her eyes lit up hopefully "Are you and father staying longer?"
"No," he shook his head. "Here, let me take this," Shang sighed as he grabbed the larger of his sister's two bags. "I just thought, with as long as I was waiting, that you would have more, that's all."
A flush spread over the teen's face, as they stepped out the front doors.
Shang glanced sideways at his little sister, frowning. "You know, Qing," he said, eyebrows furrowed with concern. "I'm not sure how life works here in the capitol, but, if it's anything like the army, it would be good, little sister, to, uh, to be more timely."
"I know, Shang, I know," she sighed as her shoulders slumped. "It's just, I had been working on this assignment, and the masters here all told me I could do better, but I've been stuck, and then it just hit me as I was packing so, you see, I had to write it down!" Quingzhao glanced back over her shoulder as she caught her breath. Shang met her harried defense with a raised eyebrow.
Flicking back her sleeves, she held up a blackened wrist. "See! I didn't even have time to wash the ink off my hands! "
Shang's stern mask broke as he pushed open the stable doors. "Calm down, Qing," he said as he dropped the bag onto the dirt floor and rubbed the back of his neck. "It's alright. I'm not upset at you. In any case, we were going to have a long day ahead of us- regardless of how much of a slowpoke my little sister is" He smirked. "Just, you shouldn't do this with father, and you can't do this with your masters. It's dishonorable."
Qing's mouth twisted into a reluctant grin while she secured her bags to the sides of her saddle. "Yeah, yeah. I know that. You're just getting special treatment, my most honorable brother."
Shang rolled his eyes as he mounted his stallion. "Come on, let's go home."
"Speaking of which, do you think Father will be home when we get back, Shang?"
He shrugged.
"We'll see."
Shang and Qing sat on a creek bank, inhaling the spring's fresh breeze and nibbling on dumplings Shang had bought before they left the Imperial City. They had been riding all morning and into the early afternoon, and the horses needed to rest and drink before they completed the last leg of their journey home. The steady stillness of the journey had given both siblings ample opportunity to reflect upon the last several months away from family, and to simply enjoy the quiet comfort of each other's company.
Although separated by more than five years, Shang had always felt closest to his younger sister. As young children, she would happily sit at her older brother's feet as he read legends from the scrolls tucked away in the family library or retold the dramatic tales of their father's battles and campaigns.
Even when he was sent away to the academy nearly 10 years ago, Shang was still able to stay in contact with Qing through his family's visits to the academy or trips to Mu-Shung Camp near the mountains to visit father.
After Qing herself came to the capitol for her studies, the siblings' relationship grew from one of childish folly to something of substance: his little sister wrote frequently asking for advice in her studies, or practical counsel in navigating the political landscape of the Imperial City.
In return, Shang was able to describe the many regions he was able to visit during his training, and of the different people and customs and practices found throughout the Middle Kingdom. He was even able to see her for tea every few months, or at least whenever he passed through Chang'an for orders or officers' exams.
Thinking about it, Shang was glad he was able to be present for these past two years. Since her last time home, Qing had grown from an awkward child to a poised and respectful 16-year old. It was a change in his favorite sibling that had happened so gradually and one that had been barely noticed with so much contact, yet was undeniable: she was now a woman, and, at that, a woman nearly old enough to see the Matchmaker.
Despite the little glimpses into one another's lives these few years, getting to spend as much uninterrupted time together –or even with any member of their family– was a rare treat Shang enjoyed.
Generally, mother and as many of the four Li siblings as could make it tried to come home for the holidays, but even that was impossible at times; this year Shang, Qing and father were not even able to make it home for the Reunion Dinner or any of the New Year holidays. To make up for the missed time, mother had planned a special family celebration for the Quingming Festival – Ancestor's Day – in between Shang and father's rotations between outposts.
Almost as exciting as getting to spend the holiday with family was the news from father when they all returned home. After completing his latest command at the edges of the realm, Shang had been reassigned into the Strategic Command Unit, a prestigious regiment known for minting many skilled commanders and strategists including the fabled Fa Zhou. It was lead by one of its alumni- none other than General Li Dao. Shang would receive his first assignment from his father shortly, indeed in a few hours.
Just as the first hints of the golden sunset started to glow in the spring sky, the pair arrived at the gates of their childhood home.
Striding from the main building, across the large, u-shaped courtyard, was a tall but dainty figure, with a lanky boy clutching a scroll struggling to keep up on her heels.
The two siblings dismounted, both grinning, and embraced their mother after many months apart.
"Oh I have missed both of you so," Li Wen said looking at them. "Shang, my son, you look more like your father every time I see you," she said, fondly adjusting his cape. "I take it your mission on the border went well?" she asked, eyebrows raised.
"Yes, mother," Shang replied, bowing his head slightly. "It was interesting to see the wall. Very interesting. But it was uneventful, boring actually" he said, soothingly. "I'm home in one piece, Mother" he laughed.
"And speaking of being in one piece," he continued, lightly shoving the lanky youth next to his mother, "I see you're holding up well, Zhen. No new episodes this month?"
"I'm fine, I'm not going to break" the boy huffed, rolling his eyes.
"Oh good. Then you don't mind if I do this!" Shang yanked the youth into a bear hug, ruffling Zhen's hair with gusto as the younger Li struggled to escape.
It was clear that over the past year, 12-year-old Zhen had sprouted up like a bamboo shoot, his body tall, lean and supple. It was also immediately clear to Shang that his little brother was growing restless: with his illness barring his entrance to the academy, brains were the only weapon he could yield.
Yet, because of his frail health, mother was reluctant to send Zhen to study in the Imperial City, instead requesting tutors to come to the Li estate. The lack of competition and exposure to his peers didn't do Zhen any favors, Shang thought.
The boy used his intellect as a cudgel rather than a delicate sword, constantly trying to prove himself to his tutors and parents instead of finding balance, wisdom and mastery of his subjects. Not to say that the kid wasn't clever: at the age of 13, Zhen possessed knowledge in a broad array subjects that rivaled most of Shang's peers, let alone fellow students. Simply put, Zhen was brilliant- even compared against the rest of the Li children- and could be one of the great minds of the realm, but only if Zhen was challenged to let go of his arrogance. Shang made a mental note to spend time and talk with his brother, and see if there was any way he could help the boy's obvious frustration.
"Son, you had another attack last time you visited the alchemist's studio."
"Mother! I'm fine! You know I've had worse!" the teen as he wrested himself free from Shang's grip. "And now all I can do is stay home and read the scrolls and books I've already read and work with elements I already know" he grumbled moodily.
Li Wen cut a cautionary glare towards the boy and he gave a quick nod of contrition. "Son, I told you we'll talk to your father when he gets home," their mother warned.
"Speaking of Father," Qing softly interrupted, "do you know when he will get home?"
"Well, he should have arrived at your sister's house last night, and I believe that they should both be here by sundown." Their mother glanced up at the sky, as the orange fingers of the clouds reached away from the horizon.
"Why don't you two put the horses up and unpack your bags, and we'll prepare for the ceremony?"
They nodded and Shang grabbed his bags. He crossed the courtyard towards the east wing of the house, where his old room lay. The desk and scrolls lay in his room lay slightly disheveled, untouched from his last visit home. Shang smiled – he was home at last.
A/N: A hearty apology to anyone waiting for updates on this. The short story for where I disappeared to for the past year and a half is that I suffered a brain injury a few days after uploading the last update, which kept me from spelling or writing for a while, and then recovery, and life once it got back to normal. (I literally couldn't spell the word "world" for a few months, much less use a computer or write a story for a while). I am doing much better now, and worked on the story a lot as I was in recovery and am 1) updating the chapters I've already written and edited and 2) editing the remaining chapters I have left and hopefully uploading on a weekly/bi-weekly schedule as I go on.
A bit about the story world- While I've put a bit of research into this, I'm placing this in the mythical, magical Disney-version of the Middle Kingdom/China, not the real life version, mostly because a) I don't read or speak the relevant languages and 2) I could never do justice to the rich history and culture.
Now fasten your belts and gird your loins as we delve in to the world
gēge: Affectionate term for "big brother." Historical Note: