The Sorceress' Revolt -
Ko Eiji's Story
Author: Toriumi Jinzō
Translator: Ainikki the Archivist
Part Five: Ko Eiji
The people of Beizhou were assured of their immediate safety, and the city was full of energy. Even so, everyone worried about the advance of the Imperial Army on the city. Construction of the inner walls of Beizhou Castle was completed quickly. After the inner castle’s defenses were completed, Sei Koko and Ko Eiji moved in and established the headquarters of their religion there.
The castle’s outer walls and defenses were also strengthened. The outer moat was dug deeper, and only one suspension bridge at one key point was left intact. All other bridges over the moat were destroyed.
Ou Soku spent most of his time in the inner city organizing his army, establishing military discipline with new recruits, and making plans against the Imperial Army. The sorcerers were made into an independent unit and specialized in infiltration and spying.
Sun Tzu wrote: What enables the wise sovereign and the good general to strike and conquer, and achieve things beyond the reach of ordinary men, is foreknowledge. This foreknowledge cannot be elicited from spirits; it cannot be obtained inductively from experience, nor by any deductive calculation. Knowledge of the enemy’s dispositions can only be obtained from other men.
The sorcerers also received extra combat training since their magic made them natural fighters. They went along with Ou Soku’s plans because Sei Koko had told them to. There was some friction in the ranks at first, but Ou Soku was always accompanied by an honor guard of five trustworthy warriors who were experts in Shaolin martial arts. They served as a better deterrent to the sorcerers than any orders Sei Koko could give.
***
Ou Soku had the opportunity to put the knowledge he had acquired to prepare for the civil service exam into practice. All over Hebei Province, soldiers were expelling, killing or capturing governors that refused to submit to Ou Soku’s rule. One part of his army was tasked with marching against nearby fortresses that showed resistance to the rebellion.
One evening, Ou Soku was patrolling the towers of Beizhou Castle with his guards. The setting sun was low on the horizon, painting the wilderness red. Looking down from the outer wall, Ou Soku gazed out at a vast landscape of rolling hills and valleys. One day, the Imperial Army would fill this wilderness. There was a complicated emotion on Ou Soku’s face as he gazed out at the setting sun.
He remembered something Ryū Gen had said to him. “Ou Soku, youth is the best time to lay the foundation for your dreams. Stick to the path you believe in. A man needs courage.”
Because he’d believed those words, Ou Soku had followed Tanshi, teamed up with Sei Koko and started a revolt. “I will conquer the world and rebuild it as a just and incorruptible place, a place where the rich and the poor are equal in all things. I’ll show them all. I’ll make my father’s dream come true.”
His blood burned hot with idealistic determination. He would achieve his goals or die trying.
Ko Eiji came running down the street on horseback, straight at Ou Soku. She was without her usual escort of sorcerers and guards and looked harried.
Ou Soku, too, was alone; his bodyguards were busy elsewhere. “What’s going on?” he asked.
Ko Eiji dismounted and climbed up the stone steps of the castle toward Ou Soku.
Ou Soku was wary. Ko Eiji wasn’t a powerful sorceress to his knowledge, but she was still part of Sei Koko’s faction and that made her dangerous.
Ou Soku’s guards saw Ko Eiji approaching and rushed to their charge. By the time Ko Eiji reached the top of the stairs, Ou Soku was under their protection again.
This was the first time Ou Soku had ever seen Ko Eiji go anywhere without an escort of sorcerers and Sei Koko. Her riding outfit was pale red silk that shone brightly in the light of the setting sun.
Ko Eiji bowed her head slightly to Ou Soku, then smirked at the guards. “Paranoid much?” she asked. She’d become bolder and rougher since her days as the only child of a wealthy merchant. She was getting more used to speaking her mind. She didn’t fear sorcerers; ordinary guards were as threatening as flies to her.
Ko Eiji had rushed here, but seemed to be in a playful mood. That made Ou Soku hopeful that whatever matter she’d come to discuss wasn’t too serious. Sometimes Sei Koko would send messages to Ou Soku and his army about the Imperial Army’s movements. She had never sent Ko Eiji as a messenger, however. If Ou Soku had to guess, he would say that Ko Eiji had come here without Sei Koko’s knowledge. Why?
Ko Eiji turned and looked to the horizon. “It’s a lovely sunset, don’t you think?”
Ou Soku shaded his eyes and looked. “Why have you come here?” he asked. He gave her a suspicious look.
Ko Eiji blushed. “That is…. I have questions.”
“About what?”
“I heard Ko Biji was beautiful.”
“I’ve heard that too. I never met her.” Though it would make sense for Ko Eiji to be curious about Ko Biji, since Ko Eiji was her reincarnation.
“Of course not,” Ko Eiji said. She kept looking out at the sunset. “But you met Tanshi. That monk. He knew her. I want to know more about him.”
Ou Soku was taken aback by this sudden demand and said nothing.
“Is he truly dead?” Ko Eiji asked.
Ou Soku didn’t speak. Sei Koko’s Way of the Dragon Slayer technique was undoubtedly powerful, but Tanshi was no weakling. He hadn’t seen Tanshi’s body and wasn’t convinced that the monk had been defeated so easily. He suddenly wanted Ri Shun there so that he could ask more about what Tanshi was capable of, but of course Ri Shun was back on Yunmeng Mountain.
“Sei Koko probably knows,” Ou Soku said, because that was accurate.
“She won’t tell me.”
“I don’t know either.”
“I want to know.” Ko Eiji turned to Ou Soku with sincere pleading in her eyes. “I heard that long ago, Tanshi abandoned Ko Biji and left her to die. Is that true?”
This had happened when Yang Chun’s estate was attacked at night by Imperial Guardsmen.
“I heard from someone Tanshi trusted that he fled Yang Chun’s estate when it was on fire and under attack. There are times when such things are unavoidable. Ko Biji held no grudge. She prayed that Tanshi would escape safely and nearly escaped herself. At the time she didn’t think she would be reincarnated. All she wanted was to get to Yunmeng Mountain and live in peace with Tanshi.”
Ko Eiji appeared openly relieved. “It sounds like Ko Biji was a kind person.”
“Um… Do you believe in reincarnation?” Ou Soku asked, dispensing with honorifics and titles when he addressed her. He believed it was easier for people to talk when they were on equal footing.
“I do. I am the reincarnation of Ko Biji, after all.”
“Tanshi loves Ko Biji. He never forgot her. He believed that you were her reincarnation and wanted to see you, even if it meant risking his life.”
Ko Eiji had mixed feelings about this revelation. The sun had set, leaving her face in shadow.
Tanshi had come to Mt. Zixia to meet Ko Eiji, but he’d been defeated by Sei Koko before they got a chance to speak. Ko Eiji was aware that she had been used to lure Tanshi into danger. She didn’t like that. It caused her a strange pain that she couldn’t quite identify. Perhaps the pain was in her soul. Her reincarnated soul didn’t want Tanshi to be harmed.
I hope he’s alive, Ko Eiji prayed to herself. Please, let him be alive.
“You look sad. Is that acting, or did you intend to lure Tanshi to you and get him killed?” Ou Soku’s question was matter-of-fact and lacking in sympathy.
“No, I wasn’t…. I mean, it’s just that I’m reincarnated…”
“I don’t believe in reincarnation. If you actually are the reincarnation of Ko Biji, you should be able to understand Tanshi without me telling you anything.”
“I think I do understand, though.”
“You don’t, or why would you ask me? Ko Biji is dead. There’s no way for you understand what she thought or felt. Not really.”
Ko Eiji’s face fell. Ou Soku was right.
Ou Soku had betrayed Tanshi after Tanshi had refused to teach him Daoism. He’d rejected Daoism in favor of sorcery as a means to an end. Even so, he was impressed by the lengths Tanshi had gone to in order to find Ko Eiji. His love for Ko Biji was sincere, no matter what his other motives were.
Ou Soku tended to see the people around him as lost and gullible. He included himself in that assessment. He was disgusted with his mother for being an adulteress even if it was for the sake of his own advancement. Living with Tanshi and Ri Shun on Yunmeng Mountain had given him a clean slate in some ways, but in others, he was still the lost child who’d run away from a home that felt hostile to him.
“It was fate that I was born as the reincarnation of Ko Biji,” Ko Eiji said. “It had to happen.”
“I hate the word ‘fate,’” Ou Soku said. “It’s just an excuse to maintain the status quo. The truth is that we all make our own destiny. Even if you are reincarnated, you don’t have any memories of your past life, so it doesn’t matter. You’re Ko Eiji. That’s who you were born to be. "
“Next year on the Chinese New Year, Empress Wu Zetian’s will will be revealed to me,” Ko Eiji said.
“Or nothing will happen on the Chinese New Year,” Ou Soku said. “No matter what happens or doesn’t happen, you’ll still be Ko Eiji.”
Ou Soku’s plain words shocked Ko Eiji. From the moment of her birth, she’d been raised with special care and had been allowed to live as she pleased. She wasn’t used to being opposed in her thinking.
Sei Koko had put Ko Eiji’s current self-image in her head, because Sei Koko believed she was the reincarnation of Ko Biji and Empress Wu Zetian. Sei Koko had dressed and educated her so that she could play the part. Seven maids attended to her needs. She lived luxuriously as any queen and rewarded Sei Koko’s care with obedience and service.
Ko Eiji had dreamed about living in ease with great wealth for her whole life, especially after her family died and she fell into poverty. No one looked down on her or criticized her now. Many people legitimately worshiped her.
But Ou Soku was different. He contradicted and criticized her thinking easily… and she didn’t mind it. It wasn’t like when her relatives had compelled her to work and give up her precious things. No. This conversation felt necessary. She hadn’t considered herself as just herself, just Ko Eiji, in a long time. Months, at least.
Ko Eiji wasn’t consciously aware of her connection to Ou Soku, but she understood that he’d been like this from the beginning. Facing down Sei Koko. Making alliances. He wasn’t bound by the strictures of destiny or fate.
Maybe she wasn’t either.
Their eyes met.
Ou Soku smiled at her. “Uh… you should probably go back. I’m sure Sei Koko will be worried about you by now. I’ll call a carriage and escort you.” The horse Ko Eiji had ridden here was nowhere to be seen.
“Thank you,” Ko Eiji said. She gave him a tentative smile.
As they rode in the carriage, the moon rose. Ou Soku looked out and saw Venus burning bright in the gathering darkness. He glanced at Ko Eiji and frowned a little. He hadn’t been aware that she believed so strongly in fate. And he worried, because Sei Koko was powerful and manipulative.
Will Ko Eiji be Sei Koko’s next victim?
He hoped not. He pitied the girl that Ko Eiji was, not the vessel for a reincarnated Wu Zetian that Sei Koko thought she was.
Venus sparkled white in the eastern sky.
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