Home Published Writings Interview Essays Poetry Short Stories Contact

The Emperor and the Sage
by R.P. Infantino

   "Honorable Sage, I am Chin Chou, Emperor of Nanhuam."

   "I am well aware of you, your Highness, and your family's service to our small Province. How may I be of service to you?"

   “As you may also know, our Province has been besieged by war and death and destruction for far too long, culminating in the heinous assassination of my father by the barbarous Iron Hand."

   “My condolences, Emperor, for your loss. Losing a parent is always difficult. Please send my sympathies to your wife and children."

   “Thank you. My father's ways were passed down generation to generation. I look to stop the carnage so our people will not live in fear and terror. I seek to bring peace and prosperity to our people and our land. You are wise beyond all others. I ask your assistance in this endeavor."

   "You, too, are wise in that you seek help. It is the foolish leader who wages war because that is the way it has always been.”

   “There has been far too much bloodshed. The slaughter of my father has shown me that we need to change—we must—else we will not last."

   The Sage closed his eyes, pursed his lips, and nodded in agreement. There was silence from the two men. Chin Chou spoke.

   "You and your many students have lived peacefully and serenely for many years. You ask no assistance from your government, have no quarrels with any group, and have taken no life for your cause. These are beliefs I would like to implement for our region."

   The Sage, eyes still closed, listened attentively even though his looks were of one asleep.

   "Is this a bad time, my Sage? Am I interrupting your meditative state? Shall I come back another time?"

   "No, Emperor. With eyes closed, I see clearer. Continue."

   "As you may know," Chin Chou continued, "our nemesis. the Iron Hand, have repeatedly attacked our Province, forcing our retaliation. Even though my good father disdained bloodshed and violence, he had no recourse but to reciprocate their murderous acts. I seek another way and come to you for council."

   The Sage opened his eyes and spoke with calm assurance, “As I am neither God nor prophet, Emperor, I can no more tell you what to do as I can for my students. An educator does not teach, he facilitates. A student does not learn, he understands. The student understands when he is ready, not when the teacher is. I am sorry to say, I have nothing to offer."

   "I respect what you say, kind Sage. I only wish you had words to share that would change the course of the vengeful mindset between the warring parties. I leave saddened."

   Chin Chou rose, bowed, turned, and walked toward the exit.

   "Know this. Emperor," the sage said with eyes closed and head bowed.

   Chin Chou stopped, his back still to the Sage.

   “Everything you want to know and everything you need to learn, can be found in Nature. Its lessons are always there when the student is ready. Look not to man, but to Nature. It is the one true teacher."

   Chin Chou turned to face the Sage.

   "Thank you, wise one."

   He bowed once again, then left.

   Chin Chou walked the long, winding, rocky road down the mountainside and thought deeply of his task: how to deal with the invading marauders. It was obvious that attack for attack resulted only in lives lost. How to respond to the vengeful acts of an enemy were uppermost on his mind.

   The walk back from the monastery of the Sage went through wooded areas, tree-lined roads, graveled trail ways, all filled with an array of living creatures great and small. Chin Chou thought of the Sage’s prophetic words: look to Nature. Chin Chou was open to the wonders around him. He paused occasionally to see with his eyes, to understand with his mind, to feel with his heart. There were, indeed, wonders inthis nature-filled mountainous region, but how will it help with an enemy bent on death and destruction?

   Chin Chou entered his palace and immediately was informed by his assistant that the Minister of Defense was waiting to see him. LiChang entered, bowed to Chin Chou and began a tirade regarding what he felt should be done with the Iron Hand.

   "Attack first, Emperor. To wait is a losing proposition. That murderous group is now planning for our destruction. If we do nothing, we will surely perish in the end. I say attack first!"

   Chin Chou sat back in his chair. He touched the finger pads of both hands together, and closed his eyes. The words of the Sage flooded his thoughts: look to Nature. Chin Chou went deep into his mind, his unconscious brought forth many images, but one in particular stood out.

   Chin Chou stood. Calmly and serenely he spoke, "My ever faithful Li Chang, I appreciate the years of service you have given my family and our people. In response to this current situation, I say, be like the ant.”

   Li Chang stared back, his eyes blinking repeatedly.

   "Emperor, with all due respect, we have no time for idle chatter. The Iron Hand prepares now for our insurrection."

   "Hear me out fully and you will understand the meaning of my idle chatter as you call it."

   The Minister of Defense gestured with his hand.

   "The lowly ant, grain by grain, builds its ant hole. It burrows deep, removes one speck, carries it upward, and deposits it a great distance from the tiny opening, time and time again, for hours on end. When finished, it not only has a dwelling underground in which to live and be free from predators and dangers, but it has, in effect, built a border surrounding its home’s opening, protecting itself."

   Li Chang stared, nervously rocking his right leg.

   "Be like the ant. We shall defend ourselves by building a border surrounding our tiny Province. None will get in, a select few will exit. If we begin now, with patience and consistency, our people will be securely protected from all sides."

   "Your Highness, my silence can be contained no longer. With all due respect, if we do not attack first — and now! — it will be the slaughter of hundreds, if not thousands, of our people. The Iron Hand does not understand the world of the ant of which you speak. It only knows the world of the sword."

   "You will do as I say. Be like the ant and build a border. That is all."

   "But Emperor —"

   "You may leave."

   Li Chang rose, bowed, turned and exited, his fists clenched tightly.

   The following months, soldiers and civilians joined together to lay bricks, stones, boulders piled high surrounding their precious Province. It was 75 centimeters high, 550-900 centimeters wide at the base, and 360 centimeters wide at the top. It was near impossible to ascend, and too thick to break through. The Iron Hand, on numerous occasions, tried their best to get through this ingenious protection, but to no avail. When the Minister of Defense met again with the Emperor, he commended his Excellency for his decision to protect, rather than attack.

   There was peace in the Nanhuam Province for twenty-five years.

   Until—

   Chin Chou’s assistant informed him that Yang Lee, the Minister of War, was awaiting a meeting. He bid him welcome. Upon his entrance, the Minister of War bowed deeply. He informed the Emperor of an urgent situation.

   "Your Excellency, our intelligence has informed us that the Iron Hand have been attempting to penetrate our man-made border surrounding our Province and are close to breaking through. If and when that happens, they will plunge our people into a war we are ill prepared for. My recommendation is to surprise them, overtake them, and drive them back before they take action against us."

   Chin Chou turned to face the window. He peered out to view the wooded area beyond. Many minutes went by.

   "Your Excellency, time is of the essence. Any delay on our part would be ruinous to our way of life. I need your say to send troops to attack the enemy now."

   Chin Chou spoke not. The words of the Sage twenty-five years earlier rang clear in his mind: look to Nature. A clarity came to him as if a mist disappeared.

   "Your Excellency, there is precious little time. I need your reply to this threatening scenario."

   "You will find this difficult to comprehend, Yang Lee. As Minister of War, you look at attack, retaliation, vengeance, and first-strike aspreeminent in your arsenal. I say, be like the spider."

   The Minister of War spewed forth a diatribe of war strategy stemming back thousands of years.

   “A surprise attack now, your Excellency, will render them helpless before they get the advantage. To wait until they have breached our border would be death to thousands to be sure."

   "The spider, my good Minister, builds and designs its web, then waits patiently. It is only when a fly is entangled in its web does it attack. Like the spider’s web, we have built our border defenses surrounding our Province. I have been informed by our Minister of Defense that we are secure at all points. Our soldiers are prepared. Our weapons and ammunition are up to date and plentiful."

   “And then?"

   "And then, like the spider, we wait patiently for the fly to arrive."

   "With all due respect, your Highness, that would be a grave error in judgment. The opposition will surely attack mercilessly at the most opportune moment. We must attack first."

   "You will do as I say. We have had peace and prosperity for twenty-five years. We will continue to do so. We will, like the spider, wait patiently."

   "But your Excellency—"

   "That is all. You may leave."

   The Minister of War bowed, turned and exited. A large vein pulsed in his temples.

   Many weeks went by with no provocation from the Iron Hand. Weeks turned into months which became years—many years, in fact. The Minister of War had to concede that the Emperor’s assessment was correct. If they had attacked first, instead of years of peace—which they had experienced—there surely would have been years of bloodshed. Peace and prosperity continued on for another twenty-five years.

   Fifty years had elapsed since Chin Chou’s meeting with the Sage. Fifty years of calm and serenity. Chin Chou was hailed, not as a warrior king like his father before him, but as a ruler of peace. His reign of tranquility was unprecedented. The citizens of this tiny Province flowered him with praise and undying affection. It had been a long time coming from his ancestor’s time of war to this peaceful existence. It was, for Chin Chou, the right decision to seek and implement the Sage’s wise advice.

   One bleak day, the Ministers of Defense and War both met with Chin Chou.

   "Emperor, our sources inform us that the Iron Hand have indeed breached our border on the north and are advancing steadily. My recommendation is a full attack on the invading marauders, and then subject their home base with an onslaught so fierce, they would never consider a future conflict. Attack and retaliation with full casualties on their end."

   "I concur, your Excellency. The Iron Hand need to be taught a lesson of epic proportions. Rip out their home base at the root and the cancer that they are will secede. We need to not only stop the immediate threat, but to show them who they are dealing with as well."

   Chin Chou sat back in his chair, head down, fingers crossed before his face, a look of deep concentration on his brow. He searched his mind, scanned his memory, and remembered the Sage's wise advise: look to Nature.

   “This we shall do," the Emperor began. "Like the great lion protecting its cubs, it defends its pride against predators only until the threat recedes. The mighty lion does not retaliate. It inflicts no vengeance. It has no opinion of its enemy other than to stop it from attack. Only man retaliates. Only man kills for vengeance. It is part of man's human emotional makeup, but not of the great lion. This I say: be like the lion. Protect our people, protect our land. Do no more harm.”

"   But your Excellency, the Iron Hand need to learn that to attack us will only result in their total annihilation. They need to be taught respect." "Respect, your Highness, is not given freely. It is earned. With our might, we will teach them to respect our people and our land. We need to show them we will not tolerate such unprovoked violence."

   Chin Chou listened attentively, allowing his two military leaders to vent their feelings on the subject. When he felt their words were through, he commenced:

   "Slaughter for slaughter, my good men, is not the way. The great lion does not enter its predator's den to teach its enemy anything. Once its territory and family are secure, it provokes not. Our enemy will learn well enough, after we defend our people and our land, that we are not to be trifled with. We will be like the mighty lion. Defend our people and our land to the best of our abilities."

   Both Ministers flew into a tirade regarding the mistake it would be not to continue the attack to their enemy's home turf.

   "You will do as I say. Be like the lion. Defend, protect, secure. That is all. You may leave."

   The two Ministers bowed and simultaneously declared, "It will be done," albeit with much reluctance.

   The defense against the Iron Hand was brief as the enemy was not aware a defensive was ready. Their weapons were still sheathed and not at the ready; they were ill prepared for further attack. They retreated immediately and the Minister of Defense restored the breached border. The whole affair took but minutes with zero casualties on either side. No further attack was needed, no retaliation warranted. It was a defensive victory. The tiny Nanhuam Province was at peace for another twenty-five years.

   After taking on the leadership role upon his father's assassination at the ripe age of twenty, Chin Chou, now ninety-five, neared death. He ruled with peace and prosperity for his people for seventy-five years. No war was raged, no blood was shed. It was an unprecedented reign. Chin Chou was highly regarded for his leadership and the citizens praised him endlessly.

   Chin Chou's medical team prepared him and his family for the end. He had little time left. His body had simply run its course. His wife and two children by his side, he bestowed leadership on his only son. His daughter, hailed as the most beautiful in all of China, was not relegated to merely being a beauty to behold— she was bestowed a leadership position in the government’s cabinet.

   Chin Chou spoke with his family for the last time. He held his wife’s hand; the children wrapped their arms around their father’s frail body. Both children wept. His wife knew this day would come and was brave beyond words.

   He reminded his family of the years of peace. He spoke specifically to his son, the soon-to-be new leader, “Some say there is peace through strength. I say there is strength through peace. To have honor is the way. To be peaceful is the way. To respect all—even your enemy—is the way. To be civilized is the way. To honor life—all life—is the way. This world is for all, the good and the bad. We can live together. There is no light without the dark. There is no happiness without sadness. There is no pleasure without pain. All are needed. All are necessary.”

   Chin Chou’s son understood and promised to continue his father’s cause. Chin Chou was at peace with his family, his land, his people. Outside the palace, thousands thronged the streets knowing their kind Emperor was on his last days. They sent their support and love to an Emperor that had given so much to them.

   Chin Chou now only needed to come to terms with his own mortality. His mind rambled: “Was the life I lived worth the struggle? Did I contribute all I could? Did I do as much as I could? Where would life take me now?”

   He once again thought of his friend and mentor, the Sage, and his wise words: Look to Nature. Chin Chou searched the Sage’s words to find the insight he so needed. He finally came to the vision he wanted.

   The beautiful caterpillar traverses the land for only so long. After its life on land, it takes to the sky as the majestic butterfly. Its next life is one of a different kind—not better, not worse; just different. It’s the next step. It must be so.

   The caterpillar does not die. Like the mythological Phoenix Bird, it transforms.

   The death of the caterpillar is life to the butterfly. Death is not the end, it’s the beginning. The beginning of a new life. A new world.

   A life Chin Chou was ready to experience.

Copyright © 2023 by R.P. Infantino