you stand in a great temple - the great martial hall of xianle pavilion. the room itself is filled with soft clouds of insence, making the place feel dreamlike, and everlasting lanterns cover the walls, filled from top to bottom with the prayers of the people of xian le. valuable and beautiful, the great martial hall is one of the treasures of xian le, in its glorious place on mt. taicang.
kneeling in front of a statue of the martial heavenly emperor is your teacher, the guoshi of xian le - mei nianqing, along with three deputy guoshi. the four of them are prostrating before the statue, and you politely incline your head. ] Guoshi.
[ the four of them finish their ritual - all four turn their heads back to you, and mei nianqing's gaze then moves to the altar. you approach, taking an incense stick, and pay your respects in sincerity to the martial emperor. then and only then does your teacher speak.
"Your highness, the four of us have deliberated. In regards to the Heavenly Ceremonial Procession, there are but two ways to resolve it."
the parade, just a few days ago - the one that was interrupted, and ended early. you saved the life of a child who fell from the ten foot high walls around xian le, but it did interrupt one of the most important processions in the annals of your kingdom's history. you are calm. ] Please, do enlighten me.
[ "The first method is to find the child who disrupted the procession, and then we shall conduct a ceremony. At the very least, one of his five senses must be sealed, as penance."
you whip your head up and say: ] No. [ severe, immediate - punishing a child, for an accident? ] Absolutely not.
[ the guoshi's expression doesn't even change, and he nods. "I expected that response from you." he sounds a little fond, if exasperated. "So, we put the weight of our consideration on the second method."
the music obscures a little dialogue, here, but it continues. "The second method is to have your highness publicly repent before the people of Xianle, ask the heavens for forgiveness, and then face the wall in reflection for a month."
you, very evenly, reply - ] Not possible.
[ guoshi looks taken aback. "we're not asking you to face the wall to reflect, really, you just look like you ar..." and he trails off, glancing back at the statue of the heavenly emperor, and sweating a little, "....as long as you are sincere, it will suffice." ]
No. [ you say. guoshi sighs. "and the reason?" ]
Guoshi, when I descended the mountain today, do you know what I saw? [ your voice picks up a little volume, but it stays steady. ] Not only did the people at the royal capital not condemn the accident that happened during the Heavenly ceremonial procession, they very much approved of it. This proves that the people all believe to save the child was right.
[ you are still thinking about the face of that little boy, his face wrapped in dirty bandages, his single, awestruck eye gazing at you as if you were the sun itself, holding tight to your robes. you can't regret such a decision. you won't even pretend to regret it, not when it saved someone's life, and not when your people are proud. ]
If I were to do as you say, and be punished for something that was done right, what would they think? Doesn't this only tell anyone that to save a life, not only do we not obtain fortuitous merits, but instead, we are punished, for our sin? How should they think, or act, after that?
[ you have always been so stubborn. stuck in your beliefs, your attitudes, about the world, and this is no different. you will not stand down from this for a moment.
guoshi looks at you, and says, "Whether it's right or wrong is't important. Only that you must choose between the two paths. Nothing is perfect in this world. Either that child shoulders this blame, or you do.
you lift your head. ]
Whether right or wrong is very important. If I must choose, then I choose the third path.
2/2
you stand in a great temple - the great martial hall of xianle pavilion. the room itself is filled with soft clouds of insence, making the place feel dreamlike, and everlasting lanterns cover the walls, filled from top to bottom with the prayers of the people of xian le. valuable and beautiful, the great martial hall is one of the treasures of xian le, in its glorious place on mt. taicang.
kneeling in front of a statue of the martial heavenly emperor is your teacher, the guoshi of xian le - mei nianqing, along with three deputy guoshi. the four of them are prostrating before the statue, and you politely incline your head. ] Guoshi.
[ the four of them finish their ritual - all four turn their heads back to you, and mei nianqing's gaze then moves to the altar. you approach, taking an incense stick, and pay your respects in sincerity to the martial emperor. then and only then does your teacher speak.
"Your highness, the four of us have deliberated. In regards to the Heavenly Ceremonial Procession, there are but two ways to resolve it."
the parade, just a few days ago - the one that was interrupted, and ended early. you saved the life of a child who fell from the ten foot high walls around xian le, but it did interrupt one of the most important processions in the annals of your kingdom's history. you are calm. ] Please, do enlighten me.
[ "The first method is to find the child who disrupted the procession, and then we shall conduct a ceremony. At the very least, one of his five senses must be sealed, as penance."
you whip your head up and say: ] No. [ severe, immediate - punishing a child, for an accident? ] Absolutely not.
[ the guoshi's expression doesn't even change, and he nods. "I expected that response from you." he sounds a little fond, if exasperated. "So, we put the weight of our consideration on the second method."
the music obscures a little dialogue, here, but it continues. "The second method is to have your highness publicly repent before the people of Xianle, ask the heavens for forgiveness, and then face the wall in reflection for a month."
you, very evenly, reply - ] Not possible.
[ guoshi looks taken aback. "we're not asking you to face the wall to reflect, really, you just look like you ar..." and he trails off, glancing back at the statue of the heavenly emperor, and sweating a little, "....as long as you are sincere, it will suffice." ]
No. [ you say. guoshi sighs. "and the reason?" ]
Guoshi, when I descended the mountain today, do you know what I saw? [ your voice picks up a little volume, but it stays steady. ] Not only did the people at the royal capital not condemn the accident that happened during the Heavenly ceremonial procession, they very much approved of it. This proves that the people all believe to save the child was right.
[ you are still thinking about the face of that little boy, his face wrapped in dirty bandages, his single, awestruck eye gazing at you as if you were the sun itself, holding tight to your robes. you can't regret such a decision. you won't even pretend to regret it, not when it saved someone's life, and not when your people are proud. ]
If I were to do as you say, and be punished for something that was done right, what would they think? Doesn't this only tell anyone that to save a life, not only do we not obtain fortuitous merits, but instead, we are punished, for our sin? How should they think, or act, after that?
[ you have always been so stubborn. stuck in your beliefs, your attitudes, about the world, and this is no different. you will not stand down from this for a moment.
guoshi looks at you, and says, "Whether it's right or wrong is't important. Only that you must choose between the two paths. Nothing is perfect in this world. Either that child shoulders this blame, or you do.
you lift your head. ]
Whether right or wrong is very important. If I must choose, then I choose the third path.