第十二回又闻奇士思（2）

tohismajesty,mybrother,

whenyoureadthisletter,inallprobabilityiwillhavealreadyreturnedtodust.ihavelongexpectedtosubmittodeathsinceitiseveryone’sdestiny.yetasiapproachthefinaldoorwaytoheavenortohell,imustfirstrecordthetorturousaffairsthathavebroughtaboutmyruinandtowhosetruenaturemylordhasbeendeceived.

twentyyearsago,whenyoudeterminedtosendmetothischaoticcountry,icouldnothelpbutholdagrudgeagainstyou.atthattime,youhadbeenmarriedforsixyearswithoutanheirwhilei,youronlybrother,wasgreatlyappreciatedbyourfatherandministersatcourt.thus,iknewthat,althoughseeminglyaspecialfavor,dispatchingmeasalordtooneofyourvassalstateswasmerelyameanstoconsolidateyourpower.youforcedmetocomehereagainstmyownwillandgovernthisboorishandunrulypeoplewhoneverunderstoodtheimportanceofrespectingtheirmonarch.mysourcesinformedmethatyouintendedtouseborrowedhandstokillme,buticouldfindnootherpaththantoobeyyourorders.youevensentthedukeofistakarandyourever-trustedministerstogowithme,assertingtheyweretheretoassistme.yetwhodidnotknowtheyweretheretocontrolmeandmonitormyeverystep

youmaynotknowthatwhenitookthelastlookatmyhomeland,isworetomyselfthatiwouldridmyselfofyourrestraint,subjugatethepeopleofmynewland,andturnthisdomainintothemostprosperousvassalstatethathadeverbeennomatterthecost.iwantedtomakeourmotherlandawarethatyouonlybecamekingbyrightofthefirstbornandhumiliateyoubythescaleofmyachievements.asfortheattendantsyousentmewith,iwouldtakethemasmyownandmakethemwillingtoserveme,notyou.althoughihadlosttheopportunitytooutmatchyoufacetoface,ivowedtosurpassyoufromafar.

iftimepausedatthetenthyear,iwouldhavenothingtoregret.imadefulluseofmyministers’conflictsandmanagedthemwithalternatingkindnessandcruelty.theymaintainedsuspicionsofoneanotherandwantedtomaximisetheirownbenefitswiththehelpofmypower.iunitedusintheefforttostampoutcorruption,andtheyprovidedmesupportwhenifellafoulofthelocalgrandees.idevelopedoureconomyandeducationsystemtothehighestdegree,andourtributerankedfirstamongthevassalstates.asyousathighinthecapital,youmusthaveheardmygoodnameasibroughtthiscountrytoapinnacleofculture,stability,tranquility,andprosperity.

howeverjustasmyachievementspeaked,ibegantofalter.perhapsbecauseirealisedthatihadlittlechancetoreturntomymothercountryorperhapsbecausemyreignseemedtobegoingwell,iincreasinglydelegatedmyresponsibilitiestothedukeofistakar.hesoonbetrayedmytrust,resultingintheremovalanddeathofmyremainingministers.whileisoughtnothingbutsensualpleasures,hetightenedhisgriponpowerandstepbystepmademehispuppet.soonilosteverything,asfatedictated.thewholecountry,fromthecourttotheprovinces,submittedtohiminsteadoftome.everyretainerthationcefavoredturnedtohimandendeavoredtopleasehim.nobodystayedbehind.notone.behold!humanbeingsforeverfollowpowermeeklyandabandonloyaltyandintegritywithouthesitationaslongasthelureissufficient.

thedukekeptmeincaptivity,andbythetimeirealisediwasunabletoresist,itwastoolate.howironicitistohaveescapedthedangeroustrapyouset,yetdieinthepalacehebuiltformeinstead.hisruthlessnesshadlongprovokedoutragefromourpeople,butheusedmeashisshield,attributingallofhisevildeedstomyorders.iknowthatevenifiamnotkilledbyhim,iwillonedaybetrampledtomudbythepeople.andourarmedforces,weakenedbyyourlong-enforceddisarmament,arenomatchagainstthemob.bythen,thecountrywillnolongerbelongtoroyalty,eithertomeortoyou,andwhatwillhappenthen

iamnotsurewhen,orevenif,youwillreceivethisletter.ihaveheardacommisionerfromthecapitalwouldsoonarriveatcourt,andiwillhavetheletterpassedonatanycost.whatyoumustknowisthatidonotresentyouanymore.afterthislastblood-soakeddecade,ihopeyoucanavengemeandmaintaintheeternalreignofourgreatcountryandvassalstates.

finally,ipresentyouwithagift.thedukeofistakarhasloweredhisguardagainstme,enablingmetooverhearasecretduringoneofhisprivateconversations.hehasbeenworriedthatyoumayrecallhim,orthattheremayberiots,soheistransferringthewealthhehasbuilttoanunknownisland.theextentofhistreasuresisfarbeyondyourimagination,evenmorethantherichesthatfillyourpalace,butheshipstheminjustas.mallamounteachtripinordertoavoidbeingtooconspicuous.thedukeboastedwithpridethatthisislandisaheavenlyplaceandfromhisdescription,isupposeitliestotheeastofthiscountry.itseemstobealonglandmassstretchingalonganorth-southaxiswithavastlowlandinthenorthandlushmountainsinthesouth.hesaidhecouldsetuparichkingdomforhisoffspringjustbytradingthelocalmineralswithouteventouchingthetreasurehetookthere.mylord,onceyougettothisislandyouwillbeabletoeffortlesslytakethetreasureasyourownanduseittoestablishaninvinciblearmy.ifyouhavetheslightestmercyforme,comehereanddestroythedukeofistakar,foryoumustrealisethatonlywitharmedforcecanyougoverntheworld.nothingelsecan.

longliveourillustriousroyalfamily.

yoursfaithfully,

e□□ond

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e-s-m-o-n-d