The Zhou Series
Armored cavalry and vermilion palace walls, glazed tiles; old tombs and new graves amid apricot blossoms at Qingming
The Birth of the Great Zhou Empress
(I)
After yet another Hanlin Academy tutor resigned, Princess Chai Pin of Ce Hua Palace soon welcomed her fifth tutor, Zhao Changyuan, and her sixth: a young tutor even younger than Zhao Changyuan.
The young tutor was quiet and unassuming. No matter how Princess Chai Pin gave her a hard time, she never seemed to care. Everyone at Ce Hua Palace was on edge, afraid that the little princess might accidentally torment this newly recovered, seriously wounded young general to death.
After all, the young tutor looked so frail that it seemed you could knock “him” over with just one finger.
(II)
Emperor Chai often praised Lin Twelve for winning battles worthy of the gods. So how exactly did the young Lin Twelve, whose military exploits had already become legendary, fight her battles?
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Young Marshal Lin: How many enemies?
Vanguard General: Reporting to the young marshal, we have six thousand. The enemy has seventeen thousand.
Young Marshal Lin: The advantage is ours. Get them!
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Marshal Lin: Little Ji, take some men and flank them.
Young Marshal Lin: Understood. I’ll take some men and punch right through them.
(III)
Lin Zhuyu had been seriously wounded and summoned back to the capital to recuperate. On the day she reported back, she entered the court leaning on a cane with one hand. Though she was thin as a skeleton, the murderous aura surrounding her still silenced every civil and military official in the court. None dared speak, or even raise their heads to look at her.
(IV)
Chai: So what if I have no son to sit on the Eastern Palace throne? I have a daughter! So what if nobody wants to support her? I have Zhao Mu and Lin Ji, both civil and military talents. It’s settled, it’s settled! Hahahaha!
Ce Hua, utterly baffled: Father, how about asking what I think first?
Lin Zhuyu, gnawing on a huge pork knuckle: Why’d ya call me here?
Chai: To teach. There’ll be plenty of good food.
Lin Zhuyu: Deal!
And so, a deal that would rewrite the history of Great Zhou was struck.
Theme: Never give up.
