BES: Chapter 1

My childhood was short compared to what I was used to. My father, Kublai Khan, had taken one look at me and proclaimed that Tengri must have had a plan in mind for me. Not only were twins considered lucky, but my rare blue eyes were considered another omen on top of that. Accordingly, he ensured that both Dorji and I would begin training for our potential futures right away. We had until our seventh birthdays to be children, then the flood of tutors began.

At first, it wasn't anything too strenuous, of course. It was mostly horse riding, calligraphy, reading and writing, math, a bit of history of the Empire, and its subject peoples. The sort of stuff you'd normally get in primary school education with a few Mongol flourishes, like horseback riding, falconry, Mongol wrestling, and archery. On our ninth birthdays, strategy and algebra were mixed in. It was almost like those first couple of years were tests to see where we excelled and what to focus on going forward.

Unfortunately, my brother's illness stunted his capacity for the more physical arts. He was passable at horseback riding, and actually better than I was with falconry, but his archery skills were poor thanks to lacking the physical capability to shoot a compound bow for very long, and his wrestling skills were downright awful. On the flip side, he excelled at Math and Calligraphy, whereas I was only passable at math, and my calligraphy was poor and inelegant. I had him beat in history and a few other subjects, though.

Our algebra tutor, a man named Khalid Al-Fahmi from the former lands of Khwarzemia, had reported to Khublai that Dorji could be a great scholar or engineer, such was his facility for mathematics. Meanwhile, he told him that I only grudgingly did the assignments, though my grasp of the material was sufficient enough. I knew this because, on our eleventh birthdays, Kublai called both Dorji and me before him.

I was large for my age, I knew that much, having the build of a child two years my senior. Even with that taken into account, Dorji was smaller than average. He was a good head shorter than I was, and several inches shorter than most eleven-year-old Mongol noble children, with a slighter frame. As we headed into the throne room in his palace in Hebei, I noticed that his silk court clothes practically swallowed his frame.

"Brother, maybe you should have dressed down a little? You look like you've fallen into a pile of bedsheets." I joked.

"This is our first time being allowed in the throne room during open court. With Uncle Mongke having so recently become Great Khan, father is now in charge in Northern China. I need to look my best to offset my obvious lack of physical prowess." Lectured Dorji.

"You've been speaking to that Confucian Eunuch again, haven't you? What works for the Song won't necessarily work for us, you know." I sighed, exasperated.

We had gone through this argument a number of times ever since Dorji had gotten a new calligraphy tutor, a former palace eunuch of the Song Dynasty named Huo Fei. The Eunuch's tales of the Song Court had practically captured my brother's mind. Sometimes it was a good thing, for instance, he took a keener interest in naval affairs than anyone else in the Empire at the moment, aside from maybe myself. Other times, it was a hindrance, like now. Before I could figure out a way to tell him that his insistence on formal Song-style court dress was likely to backfire against him, he spoke again.

"It may well work just the same. You certainly dressed down enough for the both of us." He responded with a shake of his head.

I looked down at what I was wearing, a fur-lined, gold silk vest over a dark blue terlig with a gold cloud collar, traditional, practical, baggy Mongol trousers, fur-lined boots, and a gold silk sash. I saw nothing wrong with it.

"What's wrong with this for court? I thought it looked stylish?" I asked.

"Sure, for a provincial governor. For a nephew of the Great Khan, though?" Chuckled Dorji, shaking his head.

"Please, like Great Chinggis ever wore that kind of silken monstrosity." I scoffed.

"Our honored Great-grandfather may not have done so, no, however, he did not set his sights on ruling all of China." Retorted Dorji.

"Dress for the position you want, eh?" I queried.

"Just so." Nodded Dorji.

Soon, we were in the throne room. Our father sat on a throne carved of jade-encrusted dark wood, upholstered with white tiger skins. Surrounding him were several prominent Noyan from throughout the former Jin lands, Mongols, Tatars, Kara-Khitans, Tanguts, Jurchens, and even a few Han who had switched allegiances. All were military men who commanded entire Tumen in the service of the Khan and had been granted land and people in return. They weren't the only ones present, either. A number of scribes, guards, functionaries, and servants were also present, though mostly unseen, ensuring that the court ran smoothly.

My brother and I approached the throne and bowed to our father. Kublai waved off the bowing with his left hand, his right occupied with a cup of kumis in a porcelain bowl. We straightened as he took a drink and waited for him to speak.

"My sons. Your first few years of lessons have finished. Soon it will be time for you to move on to more advanced lessons, each according to your own particular talents. It is also time you gained titles of your own. Dorji, step forth!" Commanded Kublai.

My brother advanced a few paces, robes dragging a little, and bowed. "Here, father." He said.

"Dorji, your tutors tell me that you excel at mathematics, calligraphy, and writing. Your physical skills, with the exception of Falconry, are passable at best. I have found you tutors more suited to your skillset. Step forth!" Intoned Kublai.

From a side room came a few men. The first was a Han Chinese man in a yellow robe and a tall ceremonial black hat. The second was an Arabic man in a Turban and blue kaftan. The third was a Hakka Chinese man with a body that looked like he was used to building things and a red and green cotton robe. They all entered and bowed to Kublai and then Dorji.

"Liu Fang is a Confucian scholar. He will be your tutor in philosophy." Announced Kublai. The robed Han Chinese man stepped forth and bowed to Dorji before stepping back into line, allowing Kublai to continue.

"Amir Ibn Walid will be your tutor in mathematics and the sciences." Intoned Kublai. This time, the Arabic man stepped forward and bowed to Dorji before stepping back so Kublai could continue.

"Finally, Liau Yong Cho is a naval and gunnery engineer. He will teach you to build the ships and cannons you seem so fond of." Finished Kublai. The Hakka man stepped forward, bowed to Dorji, then stepped back into line.

"Beyond that, you will continue studying calligraphy and poetry with Huo Fei, as you seem to enjoy those subjects. I also confer upon you the title of Prince of Qi with the Orda of Qi as your land and people. This title has been approved by your Uncle Mongke, who has affixed the seal of the Great Khan to it. Until you reach your majority, you will remain here." Explained Kublai.

"You honor me with this title, and Orda, father. You and the Great Khan both." Replied Dorji as he bowed before retreating. Kublai dismissed Dorji's tutors except for Liau Yong Cho. Then bade me to step forth.

"Your tutors tell me you have an eye for clever stratagems and history, as well as an interest in innovation, but lag behind your brother in math, calligraphy, and the sciences. You, too, will take classes with Liau Yong Cho, in the hopes your innovations may turn out to be worth something. Your physical skills, however, are much better than your brother's. I have prepared different tutors for you there. Step forth!" Intoned Kublai.

A further couple of men stepped forth to join Liau Yong Cho. The first was a Han Chinese Man in the Saffron Robes of a Monk, though with a leanly muscled build and brown leather arm guards on his forearms. The second was a Mongol Man in ornate general's armor. The last was a Manchu in light armor and furs.

"This is Leung Shun, he is a direct disciple of the Abbot of the Shaolin Temple and their premier martial artist. Abbot Xueting Fuyu has agreed to send him to instruct you on the martial arts in exchange for not persecuting or destroying the Temple." Explained Kublai. The Monk stepped forward, bowed slightly, then stepped back into line.

"Next is Uriyangkadai, son of Subotai, Lord Chinggis' greatest general. He has learned strategy and tactics at the feet of his father and has agreed to teach you what you need to know in those areas when not on campaign." Grinned Kublai. The Mongol General stepped forward and nodded to me. Less formal than a bow, but he didn't exactly need to bow to anyone other than Kublai or Mongke. He stepped back to let my father continue.

"Finally, we have Dorgon Donggo, he is a master of cavalry fighting and will further your education of horse riding, mounted archery, and fighting on horseback." Finished Kublai, the Manchu in light armor stepped forth, bowed, and returned to the line so Kublai could finish.

"Beyond that, you will continue studying history and customs with your current tutors. In addition, you are conferred the title of Prince of Yan with the Orda of Yan to be your people and land. Like your brother, this has been approved by your uncle, the Great Khan. Also like your brother, you will remain here until your majority." Finished Kublai.

I bowed and said, "I shall endeavor to prove worthy of such a gift."

Kublai dismissed Dorji and me afterward. My mind was reeling, though. Prince of Yan and the Orda of Yan covered a lot of ground, all of the Liaoning Peninsula, plus most of the rest of Liaoning Bay, inland to the Laoha and Xilliao rivers, east to the Yalu, and west to the border with the Orda of Shanggu. It was a huge piece of land with a lot of people. It may not have been as developed or large as what Dorji got, which includes all of the Shandong Peninsula and a good chunk of the North China Plain and Yellow River Valley, but it was a very good piece of land. Was Kublai trying to stack the deck for independence by putting his sons in charge of hefty Ordas? I didn't think so, not when he could be Great Khan instead. I could only think of one other possibility. He wanted his sons in control of a lot of Northeast China in preparation for invasions of Korea and Japan.

Regardless of the reason for the decision, it had been done and approved by the Great Khan. I would just have to train hard and weather any plans my father might have. I was going to make the best of this, no matter what. Even if it killed me, or anyone else for that matter. That was the attitude I brought into my training.

Training which would begin the next day, with a lesson in Martial Arts. . .

XXXX

AN: Butterflies are about to fly just as soon as both princes reach their majority, which is sixteen in Mongol Culture. Accordingly, Kublai has an invasion of Korea planned for twelve-sicty if IOTL is any indication. It might just be moved up to coincide with Mongke's Korean Wars if the SI does well enough.

The tutors here really show the breadth of people under Mongol Suzerainty. Han and Hokkien Chinese, Manchus, Kwarzhemians, Arabs, and more, plus it only gets more diverse from here with Armenians, Greeks, and Jews in the West, Bai, Koreans, and Miao in the East, Tibetans, Dzungars, and Kazakhs in the center, and even more. Hell, at this point, there are even Russians and Ruthenians in the Empire. Religion is likewise diverse. In the Yuan bits alone, you have Tengrism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Various Folk Religions, and Islam. Shit was super diverse.

At any rate, the next chapter will involve the first of the new lessons as Dalai begins what is going to be his routine for the first batch of chapters. We'll get a feel for some of his instructors and how he is going to be doing going forward.

Stay tuned. . .