The Counterfeit King

It was dawn when he came.

He was an odd fellow.

He was riding in a nicely decorated wooden carriage, its silky blue curtains undrawn, with five horses in the front and five at the back. On each horse there was a man with a sword at his side and the word ‘兵’ marked on their tunics. They’re soldiers.

The wooden carriage, carried by four men, was surrounded by servants carrying red lanterns and big chests.

I watched them come.

I was standing at my balcony, hidden by its thick, gaudy fence. I’d woken early and had snuck out to steal a piece of the beautiful sunrise. I had not expected to see the wooden carriage.

I saw the emperor’s guards walk out to meet the squad. I could see that they were speaking, but I could not hear what they were saying. Soon, though, the guards turned around and escorted the party past the big wooden doors and into the castle.

I ran down, picking up my skirt in my arms. When I got to the throne room, the emperor was already there, dressed in his formal cloaks and coronet, and a strange man knelt before him, clothed with a fancy flowing robe made of foreign silk. I stayed behind the wall, listening to what the emperor was discussing with the odd fellow.

“...come to marry your niece, Your Majesty,” the man was saying.

“And you are the King Songtsen Gampo of Xinjiang whom I have been writing to, is that correct?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Then where is your crown?”

“And where is your sign that says, ‘rob me’?” the strange man said cheekily. He was tall and lean, with a thin face and pointy chin. He was about my age, young, but there was something about him that I didn’t trust.

“You are very respectful,” the emperor replied sarcastically, slightly annoyed. Perhaps this man did not know the rules here. The emperor does not need to give so much as a flick of his wrist to have him dragged out and beheaded.

“I have a sign that says, ‘rob me’,” the strange man volunteered. He clapped his hands and his servants stepped in with huge crates tied to logs that hung on their shoulders. They set it down gently, then lifted the cover of the chests.

The chests were filled to the top with shining gold, which gleamed in the candlelight.

The emperor looked inside, his eyes glistening with greed. But he restrained himself. “Do I look needy to you, sir?” he asked craftily.

“Not at all! However,” the man replied leisurely. “I don’t believe that you will give away your princess for free.”

The emperor laughed one of his ho ho ho laughs, throwing his head back. “I appreciate the thought. Sleep here tonight. You must be tired.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

The strange man strutted down the hall and out of the room, as the emperor’s servants flocked around him to lead him to his temporary sleeping room. I snuck out back the way I came and vanished behind the bead curtain before I could be discovered.

I had been invited to come live at the emperor’s palace about a month ago, although I was never told why. Now I know, and it was all connected to the strange man who claims to be a king. The emperor was trying to make an alliance with Xinjiang through me.

I exited from the back entrance, not failing to pay the guards each a pouch of silver in exchange for their silence. I escaped into the flower garden, where I almost ran into the man.

I saw him first. I crouched behind the bushes, not knowing what to do. Ever since I was a young child, I had prefered to observe from afar, rather than to partake in an event. I decided that I’d just wait here until he passed.

I listened to his steady footsteps, when all of a sudden they stopped. I heard a greeting first from the king, then from a familiar voice.

“Greetings, Your Majesty. Please address me as General Daozong.” It was my father. What was he doing here? “The emperor has decided to let you stay here for a while.”

My stomach dropped. Stay here? With all of us? For how long? Do I still have to marry him?

“Of course.”

“Lovely. But as you probably know, you might not be going back in a while, since he wants to get to know you better, first.”

“Yes, General Daozong.”

“Maybe not even in ten years.”

But that was not the emperor’s command! What was my father doing? I took a deep breath and peeked my head just slightly from the shrub to see them.

The king nodded earnestly, and my father laughed again. “Good,” he boomed. “Take him to the servants’ place. Make sure he sleeps in Rui’s room.” I peered at the king just in time to see his eyebrow furrow in confusion. My father waved his hand and a few of my maids came up to escort him. The servants’ room? Didn’t he mean the guest’s room? And Rui was hired not so long ago. He was the lowest of ranks!

As soon as the man was outside and most likely out of earshot, I ran up to my father and curtsied, hurriedly rushing through the formalities. “Father,” I cried. “He is a king! Is it wise to be sending him to the servants’ room?”

My father looked around and dismissed the servants with a small gesture of the wrist. When they were gone, he looked at me in the eye. “I do not know if this man is a king.”

“But he has gold!” I said. “Lot’s of gold!” My father must listen to me.

“Gold can be stolen,” he said thoughtfully. “Therefore I must test him, to see if he is good enough for you.”

“What test?” I asked, horrified.

“I shall test him on the things I value most.”

“I hope he fails.” I muttered.

My father laughed and walked away. I left as well.

I climbed the steps leading to my sleeping chambers. Hong was already inside folding my sheets. “Your Highness,” she said as she bowed.

“Cut the nonsense,” I answered, waving her off. Hong had been my personal maid ever since I was a young girl, and we had become quite close friends. “There’s no one here.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Hong!”

She chuckled. “I know, I know, Wencheng. I’m just messing with you.”

“Hong, I need to tell you something. A suitor’s here to marry me.”

“Oh,” she said, busying herself with a duster. “Where is he from?”

“Xinjiang. Not only that, he’s the king of Xinjiang.”

“Mm,” she murmured with interest. “A king? What’s Xinjiang like?”

“I have no idea. All the more reason not to go with him. Who knows what it might be like?”

“Have you see him yet?”

“Yes, just now.”

“Ooh!” she turned to me, pulling her lips into a mischievous grin. “What does he look like? Is he handsome?”

“That is disgusting!” I said. “He has a potbelly, and… and… ” I tried to think of all the worst qualities a man could have. “He’s got an ugly, greasy beard, and he’s half bald!”

“You lie!” Hong teased.

“I don’t!” I practically screamed. “He sounds like a frog when he talks, too. Anyhow, I don’t want to marry him.”

“When are you leaving?”

“I’m worried about that too. My father wants to keep him here. He says he’s going to test him on things that he values, to see if he’s good enough for me! He just sent him to the servants’ room!”

“But wouldn’t that provoke the King of Xinjiang?” Hong asked.

“That’s exactly what I’m stressing over.”

“Hm,” was the only thing Hong could think of to say after that. As she worked in silence, I thought of the possible things my father could want to test the King on.