Dedicated to the author that got me into reading novels based on Chinese characters, thank you!

Author's note: Faceclaim/Cast for High Priest.

The High Priest

                                                                          Ryan Zhang

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"I pledge allegiance to you, Conqueror!"

A young man kneeled on the spotless wooden floor, one arm placed over the other with closed fists as a sign of reverence before the sovereign.

The Conqueror turned away, and said, "You will take up the mantle as High Priest."

"Yes, Conqueror," he affirmed, then backing away and skedaddling out of there.

"That was quick," quipped the Sixteenth Prince. "Certain he won't betray you like his father?"

The Conqueror faced his brother, and smiled, saying, "Why would he? When he's eternally grateful for me saving his family. After all, the prior Head Astronomer did commit treason."

"And here I thought you were generous back then," stated his younger brother.

"Nope. I am not of the merciful sort," said the Conqueror while glancing at the Sixteenth Prince. Just what did his brother see in him? Did he not remember the months of hell they went through when others contested the throne? Or his reluctance to take the throne in the first place?

Obviously, his youth impaired his judgement more than he thought.

"He shall be a faithful servant then. Maybe even better than the last High Priest. Now there was a cracker...", said the loony prince. Suddenly, a high pitched shriek could be heard coming round the corridor.

He added, "Speaking of serving..."

"Tianfeng!", yelled a petite woman with a grudge to bear against the sovereign.

"It's your Majesty, Concubine Hong. Or did you forget this time again?", sarcastically chided the Sixteenth Prince. She pushed him away, aggressively approaching the King.

"I'm his concubine. I have the right to call him by his first name if I want to!"

"No, you don't," nonchalantly stated the Conqueror, snatching the aptly named Red Concubine by her wiry dominant wrist as she always dressed in red from her hair to her shoes.

"See, I was right!", teased the Sixteenth Prince.

"Stay out of this, Tianbao!"

All the princes in his generation had heavenly names: the Eldest Prince-Tianshu, the Conqueror or the Ninth Prince- Tianfeng, the Sixteenth Prince- Tianbao, the Other Prince, or the Twenty-First Prince-Tianci, the Twenty-Fourth Prince-Tiandao. There were other sons who died during the months following the king's death or of illness beforehand, and there was but one surviving heiress, Zhilan, the Eighteenth Princess.

However, Tianfeng, Tianbao, Zhilan were the inseparable triad, children of the past King and Noble Consort. The Conqueror, being the eldest, spent most of his life reared in the military, but that did not stop the Sixteenth Prince and Eighteen Princess from latching on tight bonds with their estranged sibling. Other than Concubine Hong, a rude piece of work, no one other than the three siblings dare converse freely with their first names.

"Why you gotta hurt me like that when you're the one who doesn't interest the Emperor?", answered Tianbao, the Sixteenth Prince. The Conqueror's lip twitched, he preferred not to use that term as he belonged to the Jurchen people of the Jin Dynasty, not other Han Chinese kingdoms. Besides, his country was a kingdom, not an empire.

"You all can't treat me like this!", she pouted, golden flecks flaking off from the massive amounts of jewelry embedded in her hair. Only the Royal Treasury could dare compete with the light glistening off her locks!

"Off with you before the Conqueror orders your head cut off," teased the Sixteenth Prince.

"He dares! My father would not allow it," she said, grinning as she crossed her arms, still upset.

Sighing, the Conqueror responded back, "I see you tonight according to the rotation. Could you not parade in front of me and demonstrate your...gifts then?"

"Hmph. You better not fall asleep while I'm dancing like last time, Tianfeng! I have practiced hard and will wear my best attire so you can't sneak out either!"

"Why would I?", muttered the Conqueror. Out of the three concubines he visited, she was by far the most annoying. Vain as a peacock, dressed like a courtesan albeit with poor dancing skills far below average, in addition to a frequent habit on picking on the other concubines. Were it not for her influential noble of a father, he would have already kicked her out for her atrocious behavior.

Stomping once, she pursed her lips, skipping away to probably find a poor manservant to bully in her wake.

"Aish. She gives me the shivers," joked the Sixteenth Prince. "Thank the Heavens I don't have her for a wife...speaking of wives..."

"No. My decision is final. You will marry the Shogun's Daughter and that is it."

"You're just uptight because you don't have a queen yet."

"You!" Pointing at Tianbao, Tianfeng sighed again. "Choosing a queen would upset all the courtiers. Should I choose Concubine Lan, a foreigner, they would riot. If I pick Concubine Hong or Concubine Huang, their noble parents would oppose each other in court. Concubine Hei is out of the question as she is locked up, and Concubine Bai..."

Silent footsteps treaded the hallway as a nun dressed all in white floated past the two, muttering, "Ambihatba", twirling beads while reflecting on the Buddha's teaching.

"See?", he said, pointing to Concubine Bai. "If it weren't for her father, she'd be cloistered as a religious."

"She doesn't have to be your main wife, how about that?"

His brother thought seriously about this. "Alright. Just consider my plight for a second. Concubine Hei-well, she tried to gouge my eyes out with a chopstick last time so she's under house arrest. Concubine Bai is in eternal state of meditation while Concubine Hong constantly pesters me and tries to win my attention, Concubine Huang constantly makes me feel like I'm in an..."

"Eternal state of irritation with her dying wails?"

"Not funny. Concubine Huang sings horribly, but her treats taste delicious...I can eat them provided she taste them first, of course... and Concubine Lan..."

"The Noble Consort?"

"She helps me out with my work, provided I double-check it."

Pressing to his chest, he added, "How outrageous! Poor Concubine Lan!"

"She loved another before she came here, and she's extremely hardworking and quiet. It's a wonderful combination."

"Only you would use your concubines in such a manner!", he teased.

Dropping his volume to a whisper, he said, "I don't think my child has the right to be the heir so...I hope the Shogun's Daughter is fertile."

"Is it because mother was a servant when she had you in the streets? That changed, didn't it?"

"Others would have the Twenty-First Prince, the late Empress's only son, be in charge. Besides...I don't think I can have..."

"Can I have the Shogun's Daughter as a concubine then with the Chieftain's Daughter as my wife?", he asked, opening his hands wide while wiggling his fingers in front of the brother's face.

"She's off limits, I told you," he said. Not only is the Chieftain's Daughter not for you, but I also have plans for her to be with someone else. Otherwise, how will the General marry?

Honestly, the condition that the General had made him agree to had been driving him nuts the past few years, making him break out in sweats in the middle of the night like a forgotten task. It was ghastly and needed to stop. Nightmares should be restricted to reliving his childhood and military days, not feeling like he failed in accomplishing a mission.

His determination is what made him succeed despite all odds against him. Even if he had to ask for the assistance of a matchmaker, the General would get married! Thus, he could finally live in peace!

"I would also recommend not having more than one wife. One woman is enough to handle."

"Oh, so rotating with three concubines, spending every other night with one of them is tiresome, is it?"

Not sensing the sarcasm laced in his voice, Tianfeng answered, "It's such a chore...I have to politely sit and watch them 'entertain me'. All I want to do is to rest and relax."

"When have you ever relaxed?", Tianbao teased.

"It's not my fault...", he said. He defended himself, saying, "I'm just a naturally tense person."

"You let our sister get married off, so then why cannot..."

"End of discussion, Sixteenth." Still sensitive about that issue, I see, Tianbao thought.

"My word is final." He marched off in pursuit of anything else other than this conversation while Tianbao glared at his fading view.

"Of course."

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Author's note: Drama-Romance of Tiger and Rose. Wonderful deconstruction of historical fiction c-dramas. Cannot recommend enough, a hilarious delight as well. There is a couple in this story that reminds me of the lead couple in that show quite a bit.

Author's note: Several of these past chapters have been set up for action and political intrigue in the future; even if should one skip, a reader will be greatly confused later on in the story when all is revealed to be pertinent information. Also, in this chapter, it is revealed that this story is set in the Jin dynasty whose people (Jurchens) are not fully Sinicized, though they did conquer Chinese peoples like the General's former kingdom. (That is why he makes the distinction.)