One day, the Exarch of the Far North was speaking with the Mandarin Tahao. He asked him, "Wise Man Six is retiring from service. Who should replace him?"
Mandarin Tahao replied, "My servant Lo Pin Po." The Exarch of the Far North was surprised. "Why Lo Pin Po?" Mandarin Tahao explained, "He is sagacious and righteous.Three years ago, I had perpetrated an infamy, and, fearing your just wrath, decided to flee and seek haven amongst the Beasts, for the Beast King was friendly to me. Lo Pin po stopped me, saying, 'The Beast King is friendly to you because you are a trusted friend to the Exarch of the Far North. He will not treat you well when he knows you no longer are beloved of the Exarch. Instead of fleeing to certain sorrow, you should confess and take your chances here.' I obeyed Lo Pin Po's advice, and you forgave me. He is a good advisor."
Later, the Beast King sent a message to the Exarch of the Far North. He asked for the jade of Sat Zu [2], in return for which he would give the Exarch rule over fifteen of his cities. The Exarch was distraught. "What shall I do?" he wondered. "If I give the jade to the Beast King, he may simply keep it and give me no cities. If I do not give the jade, it gives him just cause for war."
The Exarch's wise men were stymied, save for Lo Pin Po, who said, "If you do not give the jade to the Beast King, then you will be in the wrong. If you give the jade to him, and he does not give you the cities, then he is in the wrong. It is better for him to sin against God than for you. Give me that jade. I will take it to the Beast King, and use all my spirit to save both honor and the jade." The Exarch was pleased with Lo Pin Po's answer, and sent him.
When Lo Pin Po arrived in the mountains, he brought forth the jade and showed it to the Beast King. [3] The Beast King was pleased, and brought forth his concubines and courtiers, showing it to them all as they laughed and enjoyed themselves. After a few hours of this, Lo Pin Po asked the Beast King, "There is a secret blemish on the jade. May I show you?" The Beast King gave Lo Pin Po the jade.
Lo Pin Po retreated to a pillar and said, "I perceive that you intend to give no cities to the Exarch of the Far North, rather you have treacherously attempted to trick him for this fine jade. I will smash the jade on this pillar rather than let you possess it."
The Beast King was affrighted. He told Lo Pin Po that he intended no treachery and that he would give the cities to the Exarch. [4] Lo Pin Po stated, "Before the Exarch decided to send you this jade, he fasted for sixteen days. To prove your dedication and worth for it, you too must fast for sixteen days. If you do this, I will give you the jade."
The Beast King agreed, and for sixteen days there was no festivity at his court. On the seventeenth day he summoned Lo Pin Po before him and asked for the jade.
"Alas," said Lo Pin Po. "I did not believe you were serious, and so I have sent the jade back to the Exarch of the Far North by a secret messenger. It is no longer here. Because of my failure, I now present myself to be boiled."
The Beast King's regiment of executioners [5] moved forward to take Lo Pin Po, but his wise men restrained them, saying, "This is the representative of the Exarch of the Far North. If we kill or embarrass him, it will do us no good, and he will have cause for war against us." [6] So the Beast King feted Lo Pin Po with gifts and sent him home.
[1] the Far North province referred to here is not the
Kingdom of Ignorance, but just south of that. The Beast King
described here is a powerful Hsunchen ruler, who reigned over many
different tribes, and even some Kralori, in mock-civilized fashion
[2] the jade of Sat Zu is famous for its quality.
[3] the traditional homeland for Kralorela's Hsunchen is,
of course, the mountains.
[4] note the oft-used Kralori trick of not directly quoting
the words of a bad person, but paraphrasing instead.
[5] the "regiment of executioners" is a Kralori slander --
the large number of executioners here is an indication that
obviously the Beast King is a poor ruler, for his people are
disobedient and criminal. The goal of all Exarchs and Mandarins is
to have as few executioners and other enforcers as possible, for the
people are righteous and judge themselves. Three times since the
Dawn, an Exarch has successfully ruled a province with no
executioners at all.
[6] the wise men are, by definition, Kralori. Even Hsunchen
rulers preferred Kralori advisors. Note the good advise tendered.
LO PIN PO AND GENERAL JOON
General Joon said, "Lo Pin Po is a lowborn servant with no
education. If he blocks my way, I will strike him aside and walk
on."
Lo Pin Po avoided General Joon. When he saw General Joon, he changed his direction and went somewhere else. Lo Pin Po's servants said, "Master Lo, you fear General Joon, and will not confront him. General Joon's servants mock us in the Servants' Hall, and we are shamed because of you. We humbly submit our resignations."
Lo Pin Po said, "Do you think I am afraid of General Joon? Was I afraid when I was in the court of the Beast King?"
His servants asked, "Why then do you avoid General Joon?" Lo Pin Po explained, "The Exarch of the Far North has twosturdy legs, myself and General Joon. If we struggled, and one of us was overthrown, the Exarch's enemies would rejoice, and the Far North would totter. It is best for two tigers not to fight."
When General Joon heard these words, he came at once to meet Lo Pin Po. General Joon said, "I have heard your words concerning me. You are a good advisor to our land, and I have behaved wrongly. Let us be brothers." From then on, General Joon and Lo Pin Po were fast friends.
GENERAL JOON AND THE PIG MEN
In the time of T'hah Hanwuti [Thalurzni], Dzawan of Shiyang
was mandarin of Hsin Yin. The Pig Men slew him, and General Joon
decided to quell the Pig Men. [1] This was difficult, for the ruler
of the Pig Men was Keng Shing, a valiant man, though less astute
than General Joon. General Joon led a force of Mantis Warriors into
the field. [2]
The first night, General Joon told his men to light 10,000 cooking fires. The second night, he told them to light but 4,000 fires. The third night, he told them to light 1600 fires. Keng Shing saw this, and said, "General Joon's army melts away like honey on the tongue. See how his men fear the battle before them, and desert. Now that his army is weak, and his spirit is filled with forboding, we will strike!" And he led his Pig Men to attack General Joon's men in the night.
General Joon ordered his men to flee into the forest, leaving their fires burning, and abandoning their tents and much food and gear. Keng Shing laughed, "They think the woods will protect them in the dark! Do they not know we are Pig Men, forest fighters, experts in all terrain?" And he ordered his men to follow closely, forbidding to loot Joon's tents. [3]
General Joon stopped halfway through the forest. He peeled the bark off a tree and painted a message there. Then he stationed his Mantis archers on a nearby rise and ordered them, "When you see a torch beneath that white tree, shoot with all your might." He stationed his Mantis horsemen behind a hill and ordered them, "When you hear a roar of mourning from the Pig Men, then rush around the hill and attack." He ordered his Mantis halberdiers, "Go back by this side road. Run quickly and station yourself at the road leading into the forest, by which we came. When the Pig Men come out of the forest, take them prisoner." All hastened to obey.
When Keng Shing came to the tree, peeled and white, he could not read the message, for it was night. He commanded light to be made. When he could see, he read, "KENG SHING DIES UNDER THIS TREE" The archers loosed, and Keng Shing heard hundreds of green arrows rushing through the air. Then he died. The Pig Men were in disarray and trotted about pointlessly. When the horsemen came from around the hill, the Pig Men could not defend themselves and were routed. When the Pig Men came out of the forest by the road, they met the serried ranks of halberds. So all died or surrendered, except the few who were wise enough to flee by a different route through the forest.
So General Joon destroyed six myriads of Pig Men with only three regiments, losing no archers, and fewer than tenscore horsemen and halberdiers. [4]
[1] see my earlier story about Dzawan's tragic demise, "It
Is Just As Good".
[2] the mantis warriors are not some weird kind of
Hsunchen, but a variety of martial artist, expert in the use of
weapons.
[3] Because it would delay his advance. No doubt he planned
to go back and loot the tents after the battle.
[4] a "myriad" is 10,000. A Kralori Regiment is about a
thousand men.
End of Glorantha Digest V2 #128
WWW material at http://hops.wharton.upenn.edu/~loren/rolegame.html
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