BES: Chapter 6

For another five weeks, my training continued apace while whispers and rumors developed in the background. The Gongsun Clan seemed to feel that my confrontation with their family members in public constituted a snub, even though I let Gongsun Chang and Gongsun Mei leave that interaction with a face-saving excuse. They had turned to backbiting and whispers to stir up the court against me and my family in lieu of doing anything substantial. I even met with Gongsun Ping, the heir to the Gongsun Clan in the week after the altercation, where he glared at me through the entire time I attempted to let him know that I had allowed his family to leave with their honor and face intact. Nothing came of the interaction between myself and Gongsun Ping, however.

Or at least, that was how it began. It seemed that Gongsun Ping, the heir to the Gongsun Clan, had more fire in his blood than sense. He had been stewing in the background and waiting for a chance to avenge the imagined slight that he felt his family had been offered by a Great Grandson of the Great Chinggis. In fact, during my fifth week of training, he had been heard loudly proclaiming that he would challenge me to a duel of honor the next time he saw me. For a week, my father, Kublai, had been having my tutors run me ragged so that I would not be challenged and cause an incident that might result in him being forced to wipe out one of the few Han Chinese Noyan in the Empire. Unfortunately, that could only hold for so long, and avoidance would not work indefinitely.

At the start of the sixth week of my training, I was summoned to meet with my Father in lieu of my next riding lesson with Dorgon Donggo. The messenger wouldn't tell me what it was about, just that I needed to meet with my Father in the great hall at my earliest convenience. I dressed in a set of fine, but rugged clothing in case the unexpected happened and I was challenged at court or forced to depart from Zhending. Mostly, this was riding leathers, though I had acquiesced to the demands of court and accented them with a silk sash that was the same deep blue color as my eyes.

As I made my way into the great hall, I noticed that my father was not alone. Both Uriyangkadai and Leung Shun were present, as was the Eunuch Huo Fei. Uriyangkadai and my father looked grim, but Huo Fei seemed positively giddy. Leung Shun remained impassive, but that was par for the course for him. I approached the dais and bowed to my father. My father turned his grim stare toward me, the glare softening just a touch to let me know that I wasn't about to be banished for this kerfuffle that wasn't my fault in the least, even if the Gongsun Clan was insisting on making an issue of it. For a few moments, it was reassuring, before the glare hardened back into an imperious gaze once more.

"Do you know why I have summoned you?" Questioned Kublai, speaking now as my Khan and not my father.

"I suspect that it has something to do with the Gongsun Clan's bruised egos. I don't understand why they are making trouble. I gave them a face-saving out, and they must know that they cannot hope to rebel in any meaningful way and stay alive." I responded.

"You are correct, ordinarily I would wipe them out at the slightest hint of treachery. These are not ordinary times, however, and I do not have the luxury of taking such a course of action." Frowned Kublai.

"You speak of the troubles with Goryeo?" I queried.

"Indeed. Uriyangkadai has been appraising me of the strategic situation near the Goryean border. Tell my son what you have told me." Nodded Kublai.

"Prince Dalai, the Gongsun Clan controls a large swath of lands. Shanggu Orda is their domain, including the city of Zhangjiakou and the Dajing Gate there. Great Chinggis allowed them to keep their stronghold there after they opened the Dajing Gate through the Great Wall for his forces, becoming Noyan in the process. Should they feel slighted enough to close the Dajing Gate, it would throw all preparations for war with Goryeo into chaos until Zhangjiakou could be besieged and taken." Announced Uriyangkadai.

"Your Uncle Mongke, the Great Khan, has declared that war with Goryeo must commence the year after next. A revolt that closes the Dajing Gate will put those preparations back for some time, and that is not something the Great Khan will countenance." Intoned Kublai.

"So what are my options then?" I asked.

"I can send you from the court. You would go to your lands in Yan Orda until I can mollify the Gongsun enough to bring you back. Alternatively, I can have you face Gongsun Ping's challenge. Neither is palatable. The first admits weakness, the second may well result in your maiming or worse." Sighed Kublai.

I thought about that for a moment. Gongsun Ping was older than I was by two years, which meant that had I been an ordinary eleven-year-old, I would not have been able to catch up to him. However, I had experience from a previous life, which included Martial Arts experience. That ought to negate any supposed experience advantage that Gongsun Ping might have had on me. Perhaps even enough to offset any size or strength advantage he might have otherwise had as well. That, plus the training from Leung Shun of the Shaolin Temple, would help me win. Besides, if I was too proud to run from the bar fight that caused my death in my previous life, I was definitely too proud to run from a pissant like Gongsun Ping.

"Let me face Gongsun Ping." I declared, making my decision.

"Young Master, Gongsun Ping is two years your senior, and though you may be similar enough in build thanks to your natural talents, he has two years' worth of experience in martial arts on you. You should take the exile and be glad for it." Admonished Huo Fei.

"It may not be considered in keeping with propriety, but I would say it is both upright and in keeping with filial piety." I insisted.

"You think to debate me on matters of Confucian Ethics? I shall entertain you, then. How so would this action be upright and pious?" Sneered Huo Fei.

"Simple. I caused this mess. I should resolve it, or failing that, pay the penalty. By agreeing to the challenge laid out, I show that I am an honorable man, proving my uprightness, and by refusing to allow my father to mollify the Gongsun while I am in exile, I show filial piety in not making him go through the trouble." I responded.

"Perhaps, have you considered, however, that the Gongsun might be righteous in their anger? That they are just in their demands?" Questioned Huo Fei.

"If they are, then by acceding to the request for a duel, I am showing proper reverence for such a just and righteous demand." I answered.

"Your reasoning seems sound enough, even if it lacks prudence. I shall not object to your fight." Huo Fei agreed, frowning. Then he stepped back. My Father, Kublai, got a calculating look on his face as he turned to Leung Shun.

"What do you think, Monk? You have been teaching him martial arts. Does he have a chance?" He queried. Leung Shun frowned in thought for just a moment as he thought over the question at hand. Eventually, he came to a decision, nodding as he did so.

"He is an acceptable student for such an abridged curriculum. I would put Shaolin's methods against any other in China. I would need perhaps another week to drill him to feel confident he has a chance, however." Offered Leung Shun.

"Then you shall have it! I shall inform the Gongsun that a week from today, their challenge will be answered. Now, leave me with my son for a moment." Ordered Kublai.

The other three advisors did so, and soon my father and I were alone in the great hall. Kublai let out a breath, and for just a moment, he looked less like a fearsome Mongol Khan and more like a concerned father. I took a few halting steps toward him before he sat back straight in his chair again and regained some measure of his imperial authority.

"Father?" I asked.

"What am I to do with you? When they said your birth was an omen, I hadn't expected quite this much trouble quite so soon." He sighed, once again speaking as my Father instead of as my Khan.

"I'll be all right, Father. I can defeat Gongsun Ping, you'll see." I insisted, attempting to assuage my Father's fears.

"You had better. If he cripples you, your mother will have my hide." Smirked my father. Somehow, it seemed like it was only humor being used to mask worry. Even the mighty Kublai Khan worried about family, after all.

"I will, Father. You'll see." I vowed, nodding.

"You will, will you? And then what? Do you have a plan for afterward?" Questioned Kublai.

I had thought about that, of course, and when I did, I wasn't sure whether it was the seeming cultural similarities or not, but my mind slipped to Klingon Politics from Star Trek back in my Old Life. Maybe it was the facial hair? Who knows? However, when Worf spared Duras' Son after Gowron's victory in the Klingon Civil War, the House of Duras wouldn't return to challenge Gowron or Martok for the leadership of the Empire again out of gratitude. I figured it might not be a bad idea to repeat the gesture with the Gongsun Clan.

"I do. Gongsun Ping's life will be mine. I will spare it, and he will be indebted to me for it for the rest of his life. That way, the Gongsun will be forced to be cooperative." I grinned, letting my father know of my plan.

"If it works out the way you expect. You are still young, my son. People can often surprise you with how stupid and belligerent they can be. I pray that this will not be the occasion you learn such a thing. Now go. You must prepare." Warned my father, shaking his head.

As I left toward the Dojo and another lesson with Leung Shun, I couldn't help but be filled with fresh determination, even though I couldn't say that my father had no cause to be worried here. Regardless of the aftermath, I was confident that I would defeat Gongsun Ping and prove that I was upright and honorable by accepting his challenge. Then, I would spare his life and make the Gongsun indebted to me, making them more cooperative. Of course, if they refused to cooperate even after all of that? Well, then, I suppose there was no sense in keeping around intractable Noyan.

Either way, I'd burn that bridge when I came to it, literally if it came to it. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, so here's the next chapter. Kublai Khan is not pleased with the Gongsun Clan for pulling this, but unfortunately, their control over the strategic city of Zhangjiakou and the Dajing Gate there makes it impossible for Kublai to just burn out the Gongsun root and stem, as he would normally do for such a power play. Doing so would fuck with Mongke's timetable for war with Goryeo. As Mongke is still the Great Khan, fucking with his plans is a non-starter.

As for what the Gongsun hope to get out of this, let's just say that Gongsun Chang may not have been completely honest with his older brother, Gongsun Xu, about what had gone down on the road to Kublai's Palace. He basically lied to Gongsun Xu and claimed that Dalai was rude and forced the Gongsun to make way for him without any attempt to save face in order to cover his own ass for trying to whip the son of Kublai Khan in the street. That ensured that Ping would see any claims to the contrary as lies by Dalai to attempt to get him to back down, basically ensuring that the duel had to happen.

At any rate, the next chapter will show Dalai training for the duel with Gongsun Ping. Then we'll get to the duel proper. The next bit is going to feel a bit like a Wuxia Novel, hopefully. That's what I'm going for, at any rate.

Stay tuned. . .