Beijing Lihong

[Phoenix]

Hall of Supreme Harmony
Forbidden City, Beijing

26 December 1916, later in the day

"WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN THINKING ?!"
Tiles rattled. Eunuchs tried to dig safe holes in the walls to hide in.
"HAVE YOU NOT READ RECENT HISTORY ?!"
A young man, clad in Imperial Yellow with the Imperial Dragons dancing all over his chest, towered over the man kneeling in front of him. Said man hadn't intended to kneel to begin with, but the sheer force of Imperial Wrath could not be denied.
Emperor Kaili sat back down on the Dragon Throne, and in a more normal voice (yet still lined with sharp edges) continued: "How could your leaders have been so foolish as to trust yang quizi ? How could they think that agreements would not be breached, oaths not broken ? Are you small children that don't know how the real world works ?"
He glared at the man.
"Why do you think we have a fortress with 50.000 men overlooking "our dear good friends" of the DKB in Wuhan in the first place ? Because the men liked the scenery ?"
"But Your Majesty..."
"Why do you think we let them have that enclave in the first place anyway ? Do you really think we were all too happy to let them plant their flag in the middle of the Middle Kingdom ?"
"But..."
"Speak no more ! Take your maggoty form of these clean tiles and bring this message to your foolish leaders:
You have seriously endangered our means to control the yang quizi in general. Only by allowing a small but controllable number in could we stop the ravening hordes of them all. And you have been so utterly, completely and totally stupid as to try take up "ties of friendship" with all of them, including these never-to-be-sufficiently-exorcized demons of New Swiss ! Did your "dear leaders" really believe all the promises ? Did they really forget to bring their brains to these meetings ? The yang quizi are always out for conquest, you fool. And now you have given them conquest on a silver platter."
The Emperor glared ominously.
"You have given them an excuse."

[Phoenix]

The train stopped chuffing and puffing in a huge bellow of steam and smoke. Prince Pu Lun and his convoy of family members, servants, and guests certainly travelled in style, but the long days of travel had worn them all out.

One of the guests, Meister Herzog, inquired as to the name of the station, speaking to a servant called Baojia he had come to know and treasure for the man spoke German and was willing to explain things. "Oh yes, this is Datong Station, my Lord," the servant smiled. "We must wait here for a little event of tradition."

Guntar Herzog shrugged. The trip had been long, and at times quite boring, but he had seized the chance to learn some more Mandarin. The one thing he didn't learn though, was to whom Prince Pu Lun's daughter was betrothed. He had noticed that the worthy's 3 adult daughters used to dress European style, but upon crossing an unseen border, had taken to wearing more traditional Chinese women's dresses. He was told theirs' were noblewomen's attire, worn only by princesses of the Blood.

In the train station a veritable mass of people was waiting. Many were laden with trays bedecked with the most exquisite of foods, bowls with steaming and deliciously fragrant content, piles and piles of succulent fruits and sweet pastries... And a host of priests stood ready to chant and wave mountains of burning joss sticks around.
"Little event of tradition ?" the envoy mused aloud. But Baojia had heared it and nodded: "Oh yes, the groom's family must present the bride's family with food and sweet things, and there must be religious items also. You have noticed the visitors in Vienna, who brought gifts and a very elaborate letter on a cushion ? That was part 3 of the tradition. This is part 4."
"How many parts are there then ?"
"Oh, 6. But part 6 is very elaborate and consists of several little parts... the wedding procession, the Welcoming of the Bride, the actual wedding itself, and the wedding banquet... I think it will be a week or so before all is done."

Herzog nearly swayed. "Little details" indeed ! And that just for a Princess' wedding ? He would hate to find out what it took to get the emperor into the blessed state of matrimony ! But when he noted that thought to the servant, the other simply smiled. "When we marry we are all equal" was his reply, "in the eyes of the Gods we are but ants and ants are all alike, are they not ? For the simplest peasant the traditions are as big as for the Emperor himself. Of course," the servant waved at the piles and piles of food and the now-chanting priests, "a peasant couldn't afford this at all, but the principle is the same, the traditions are the same. And every bride wears the Phoenix hat on her wedding day."
"I thought that was the headdress of an Emperess..."
"Exactly !"

Guntar Herzog noted some elderly people stepping on the carriage where the Prince and his family were. The servant told him they were family members of the Prince. His august and revered Mother for one, and some uncles. All elderly and frail, but all beaming with joy.

After a night of feasting the train set about once more for Beijing. It was just a matter of hours but it left Herzog wondering who this Princess was going to marry. There were cheering people anywere. It was absolute bedlam. And it got worse when they arrived in the capital itself.

Throngs and throngs of madly cheering people, who would stop cheering and start kow-towing the moment the princly procession passed by them, then get up and continue to cheer. All of Pu Lun's retinue (except for the servants of course) travelled in elaborate sedan chairs, that of the Bride-to-be the most splendid of them all.

They stopped at the imposing gates of the Forbidden City. All would have to dismount and continue on foot, for only the Emperor Himself was allowed to be carried inside all the way. The procession wound itself stately through the several courtyards and gates, but instead of ending at the magnificent Throne Hall of Supreme Harmony in the middle of it all, they suddenly went to the right, through another gate, and continued on until they reached a gaggle of buildings, various palaces for members of the Imperial Family. Judging from Prince Pu Lun's reaction, this was Home.

It did surprise Meister Herzog. Was he not male ? Are males not forbidden into the Forbidden City ? But a few tittering eunuchs soon set things straight: "Oh, but there are parts you are not allowed to go ! You will be told, have no fear. They won't chop off important bits off you *titter titter* you will only be chased away." Pu Lun's servant Baojia on the other hand did warn him: "Don't leave the guests' rooms without an escort from us servants. We know the way, you might easily get lost in the endless maze of this town-in-a-town." Baojia then surprised him by suddenly asking for his birthday. And then explained that if it clashed with the birthday signs of the bridal couple he would not be able to attend the ceremony itself. Fortunatly it didn't, and left the Dutch envoy wondering how many of these "little traditions" there were... and who kept track of them. It was equally his good fortune that he didn't bring a clock as a bridal present, he was told, as such gifts were considered unauspicious.

The next days were something of a dream for the hapless envoy. Rooms and rooms filled with exquisite artwork to discover and admire, gardens that rivalled that of Eden itself in beauty and restfullness, and a glittering stream of jewelry-bedecked dignitaries who came to offer their congratulations to the Prince and his daughter, and to gawk at the exotic strangers he brought with him from the other side of the world. Herzog did notice that he was meeting the leaders of an enormous country, a world power in its own right if it only chose to be so, and noticed how blasé they were about said world power in question... he found their attitude of "but we already rule the world" disturbing to say the least. Was that just a misplaced notion of megalomania or... the truth ? A world power so all-encompassing that it did not need to establish this power by conquest ? What a strange notion... But it did explain their strategies, their "laissez-faire" doctrine regarding foreign nations...

And then the glorious sunrise heralded a day that would be filled with festivities. Early in the morning our Dutch envoy found himself witnessing a poignant scene, when the Bride would breakfast with her siblings for the last time. Yes, there were tears. But they were soon hidden, when the beaming parents put a red veil over their daughter's head and finally led her outside of their palace.

She was then brought outside of the Forbidden City altogether, and Herzog thought, to be transported to her new home. But instead, all stopped at the central opening of the Meridian Gate, which was lavishly decorated with all kinds of strange deities, and with slogans wishing the Bride good luck, and where a magnificent sedan chair laid waiting... and he heard hushed voices reverently muttering: "the Phoenix Chair !" But Herzog barely registered it, his shocked mind was trying to come to grips with all this and with the explanation he had heard the day before: that only the Emperor himself would ever ever go through that gate ! And now, beaming with a pride that rivalled the rays of the sun, Pu Lun, Prince of the Blood, helped his eldest daughter -after she had performed a series of formal salutations including six risings, three kneelings and three bows- into the sedan and calmy walked next to it but stopped as it passed through the central gate. He then walked through another gate.

Escorted by mounted troups in splendid livery, at the Palace of Heavenly Tranquility the sedan stopped. Carried by 16 people, the three-layered top of the sedan chair was decorated with golden and blue phoenixes. The yellow curtains were designed with phoenixes, colorful clouds, bats and flowers, which are symbols of good fortune, happiness and longevity in traditional Chinese culture.

Entering the Palace the Bridal troupe at last stopped, and all made formal obeisance to the Emperor who stood near his throne. Jie, a scepter symbolizing the supreme power of the emperor, was put on a table in the middle of the palace. Beside it were a gold seal and a gold scroll, the most precious presents an emperor could give to his empress.
It was only then that it finally sunk into Guntar Herzog that he was witness to an Imperial Marriage.

Was it a dream, when the Dutch envoy accompanied the Bridal Troupe to another Palace, where the Bridal Chamber had been prepared and the Emperor removed the red veil in order to gaze into the eyes of His Betrothed for the first time ? Was it a dream when he sat amongst the dignitaries, as the Emperor brought his Bride to the Chapel of Imperial Ancestors where she was introduced to the Imperial Family as Emperess ? Did he really shake hands with the Emperess-Dowager Longyu the famous She-Tiger ?

He scarcely noticed the delicious morsels during the wedding banquet. But he did remember to present the formal gifts of his Queen, and his own humble contribution, to the Imperial Couple. A collection of 8 Silver Dutch Guldens, presented on a red linen cushion in a lovely box got much acclaim, but his own little gift, so insignificant it now seemed -ah had he but known who the groom was to be !- strangely enough got the most attention of all... because he had chosen a small lovely "Delfts Blauw" statue of 2 cupids playing under a peach tree... and couldn't have known that fat little boys were a symbol of fertility, and peaches meant longevity. The perfect gift !!!


A leaflet with the following text and image was distributed the next day:

"His Most Serene Imperial Majesty Kaili has wedded Her Imperial Majesty the Empress Anguo. Long may they reign ! May they be blessed with much offspring !!"

[Phoenix]

Same festivities, different point of view...

Her Most Serene Imperial Majesty the Empress-Mother sighed wistfully as she gently stroked the strange blue object set on a little pedestal on the table in front of her. It was actually quite large for its purpose: more or less round, it had golden dragons, phoenixes, strings of pearls, blue feathers, flowers made of pearls and gold, it was... magnificent.

The yang quizi standing respectfully at her side twirled one side his grandiose moustache but watched in silence. He had come to know Her Majesty quite well in the past years, his exotic looks and strange behaviour setting him aside from the regular courtiers and his own (former if truth has to be allowed) exalted rank somehow giving him the occasion to be a kind of ... friend to Her Majesty, he was that rare bird in the Forbidden City: a whole male allowed access to a female member of the Imperial Family - and never needing a eunuch escort.

He had learned of quite a few strange and quaint traditions these Chinese observe and treasure, but this one was new to him. "I thought this was the crown of the Empresses, Genädige Kaiserin-Mutter ?"

Her Majesty smiled coyly at him: "It is, but it is also a crown every woman wears at least once in life - if she is lucky. You see, there is but one day in every woman's life possible when she is treated as an Empress, and rightly so ! The day when she symbolises the future and hope of a family. The day when she changes family." A sigh again. "Of course, this crown is not the same as that of the nobles and the peasants, it has more dragons for instance. But it's the symbolism that counts. Wearing this crown, we are all sisters, all brides-to-be." Gentle stroke. "Has it been so long ago since I wore mine ? An adult son now will take the hand of a woman who will be wearing hers... who I must call 'daughter' at the end of this day..."
"And soon happy little voices will cry "Grossmutter !"..."
*titter* "Indeed, and I will be looking forward to that blessed day ! But it also tells me of passing years, of encroaching old age, infirmness..."
"Hah !" Franz Ferdinand von Habsburg-Lotharingen guffawed, "Infirm indeed ! You still outride us, Kaiserin-Mutter ! We hapless men hang panting on to our saddles and you just laugh and say "another stretch ?". No, from what I heard Your Illustrious Ancesstress, the late Empress-Dowager, lived in splendid health right into old age. That tends to run in families..."

The Empress-Mother nodded... and smiled. She had noticed the emerging strands of grey in his facial hair. "How old are your own children now ? Little Sophie must be -what ?- 18 ? And your two boys are almost adult now too..."
"17 and 15 is not quite adult, but yes, they are getting themselves in quite adult trouble already... them boys are little devils, and get into all kinds of mischief."
"Yes, I did hear about the water barrel and the arrows, not to mention one of my chief eunuchs complaining about the bonnet-honey-beehive episode... but then, boys will be boys." *smile* Then: "You will be accompanying me at the ceremonies and the banquet ?"
*bristle* "It is a privilege I would duel for, Ihre Majestätin !"
"Good. I love to shock the old courtiers. They gossip that we are "an item" because they cannot comprehend plain old friendship. I daresay we should make them happy on this festive day. Will your wife be coming too ?"
"If the Kaiserin-Mutter would like the Erzherzogin to accompany her as well as my humble person..."
"Even better ! Sophie will keep me amused with her jokes. Your wife has a wonderful sense of humor and a sharp eye."
*mutter* "And a sharp tongue too."
"Yes. Delightful isn't she ? And bring your offspring. I'm sure Eldest Daughter Sophie will keep her siblings in line. I'll even dispatch a eunuch to help her. The one with the bee-stings, he must have recovered by now."
"Oh my..." *twinkling eyes, swirl of a moustache end* "The one I saw practicing with a stick yesterday ?"

Franz Ferdinand did note the other European-dressed stranger looking dazed and bewildered during the festivities. He nudged the Empress-Mother unobtrusively: "Who's that ?"
She stole a glance at the stranger and muttered:"Someone Pu Lun brought along... an envoy of sorts. from some little country over in that benighted part of the world with the caves you savages inhabit..."
He looked shocked for a moment, and then noted the twinkle in her eye. Hah, she still could tweak his sensibilities and there he had thought he had gotten over them... Then he turned to his wife: "Sophie ? That man ?"
"Guntar Herzog, envoy for the Netherlands. Invited by Prince Pu Lun with an eye to cultivate the Dutch in return for interesting deals. You do need to keep an eye on things, mein Bärchen. It's amazing what one can learn if one asks the right questions to the right people."
Franz Ferdinand looked at his wife with astonishment. But the Empress-Mother simply nodded. "She visited my new daughter with presents and simply asked. Amazing, isn't she ?"
At that moment a beaming young Emperor and a vision of beauty approached the Empress-Mother and politics were forgotten for a moment. But Franz Ferdinand did spare one small thought to politics nevertheless... "The lad's going to be on his honeymoon, and Pu Lun thinks he'll listen to him and that envoy of his ?"

Amazingly, Kaili did find time to listen. Three days after the wedding he received his Father-in-Law and his guest, while his new wife was off visiting her mother and family. (Ancient Chinese custom... perhaps installed to give the groom a breather ?)

[Phoenix]

The following happened somewhat during the ouverture of Chinese-Chinese hostilities... It was a piece of gossip a journalist overheared from eunuchs bickering on a marketplace, whether it was accurate or not... *shrug*¨... after all, sob-stories sell.

"You're going to do what ?!
If buildings were living beings you could say that the Hall Of Supreme Harmony had more or less become accustomed to the occasional outburst of Imperial Rage and an all but harmonious atmosphere, but this time the venerable palace almost perceptively shuddered on its foundations, for this time it wasn't just the Son of Heaven giving voice to his dismay, it was also the son of a mother letting loose the voice of his heart. Clearly he wasn't happy with the latest crazy scheme of his beloved and esteemed progenitress. But he had inherited his stubborn and headstrong character from someone.
"I'm travelling to the front, my son. The troops will be cheered by the sight of the Tiger Lady once more riding amongst them, they have not forgotten what I did for them in the past..."
"I know about morale-building, Esteemed Parent," the young Emperor responded bitterly, "but I also know of danger, killers, bullets who don't know how to show proper respect to royalty... The situation can explode any moment now, and the chance that you might find your august self in the midst of an artillery-exchange is enough to chill me to the bone !"
Emperess-Mother Longyu sighed as she gazed at her beloved offspring. "All women find themselves in mortal peril at some time in their lives, Light of my Heart, when we give life to what is most precious to us... And so it must be now for me: to protect and nurture what must be most dear to any Emperess - after the offspring of her womb - namely the people who look up to us as if we were their parents. I love you dearly, my son, but I see my duty clear..."
"You only want to go ride out and leave the tedious palace-life behind you !", he retorted.
"Oh yes ! And the intrigues, and the in-fighting, and the gossip... Not to mention protocol. I would rather face a few bullets and grenades than stay here and wallow in palace-politics."
Kaili, Emperor of the Middle Kingdom (and the rest of the world of course - that goes without saying) and Son of Heaven, felt his heart sink. He knew how much his mother loathed life in the inner palaces of the Forbidden City, how much she missed active participation in the day-to-day running of the Kingdom. He realized that the sedentary existence of a dowager would never suit this woman who was much too young and energetic to be derailed for long...
Wait a second, derailed... Rail... Of course !
"Very well," he sighed, "I would be seriously remiss in my filial duties if I were to be disobedient to my Mother's wishes. But..." as he saw the fire flaring up in her eyes, "you will travel by train most of the time when possible, with a nice big railgun attached to your wagon all the time. You will have a bodyguard of the best men I can find in the Palace Guard cavalry, and because they most certainly will be headed by whatever Shao-Lin I can pry loose from their temple you will at all times be modest and respectful of their needs and directions. Like the need to see you surrounded with as much security as they can deliver. Will you agree to this Mother ?"
Longyu saw the naked plea in her son's eyes: here stood not the Emperor, right this moment, but the boy who couldn't stomach the possibility of losing his mother.
"Of course my dear." 

"You do realize, Most Serene Imperial Majesty, that you just turned her into the juiciest target imaginable ?"
"I am aware of that, my good Grand-Secretary of War, but she is like a force of nature, I could not stop her. So we must go along with her crazy idea and try to make the best of the situation. And..." He hesitated. A bit.
"Think of how motivated the troops will be: The chance to impress the Tiger Lady with their martial prowess. The idea that she would actually fight at their side..."
"But to risk Her Imperial Person !!"
The young Emperor looked acutely unhappy: "She's the one person in the world I can't give orders to and expect to be obeyed." Then a beaming smile lighted up his countenance: "So I'll just have to order the rest of the Middle Kingdom to protect her, right ?"