The Coming of The Twelve Houses

While the world was still relatively new, the spirits settled down upon their creation. Each called forth their respective tribes to wander the land. Pro­tected by their spirits, these tribes were fruitful and multiplied. Small villages developed out of the wilderness as the tribes settled down, in solitude, each with its own customs. As they spread, they came into contact with each other. Sometimes the result was war, other times peaceful communica­tion. Regardless, development soon slowed, and the races stagnated.

Then, one day, Qián Qiling approached the other spirits to invite them to join together all their peoples to form a larger whole. The hope was that it might promote the sharing of knowledge, develop laws to govern and protect, and prosper. Eleven of the spirits agreed to Qián’s proposition. The others refused, too foolish or stubborn in their pride, and went their separate ways. The Twelve Tribes were immortalized into years, incorporated into a calendar based on the order of their entry into the Kingdom. These were the people of the Horse, the Sheep, the Monkey, the Rooster, the Dog, the Boar, the Rat, the Ox, the Tiger, the Hare, the Dragon, and the Snake. The Horse were the first to join, and the children of Qián were selected as the ruling tribe. A Mandate of Heaven was presented to their leader, Gongsun, upon a jade tablet. The Twelve Spirits then met with the leader of each tribe and provided wise counsel before parting the terrestrial realm. Together, the Twelve Tribes united to become the Kingdom. The celestial spirits formed their own kingdom lead by the Qiling, the Black Tortoise, the Blue Dragon, the Red Phoenix, and the white Tiger.

 

The Age of the Yellow Emperor

When the Celestial Spirits departed, Gongsun announced that a magnificent capital city for the new Kingdom should be constructed to commemorate the occasion. Gongsun summoned the leaders and their shamans of each Tribe, and together they searched for a location for the new capital. The sha­mans consulted the celestial spirits and the leaders sent out scouts. They finally found a suitable site in a place named Pao-chi, a location closest to all the five elements.

The building of the city took many long decades. Finally the Twelve Tribes completed their work and named the city Mâjing. Together with the other eleven leaders, Gongsun personally thanked the celestial spirits and asked for their blessing in return. The Heavens sent four representatives: a Black Turtle, a Red Phoenix, a White Tiger, and a Green Dragon. They passed through Mâjing and separated, each to the four corners of the compass and transformed themselves into the four hills, mountains and plains that surround the city. In their physical absence, even the Heavens would help protect and provide for the city.

Gongsun then asked for an oath from each of the Tribes to the throne. To formalize this oath, each Tribe gave an item of great beauty and wealth to the Emperor. The tribal gifts, the Twelve Insignia of the Imperial Throne, were placed upon matching bronze tri­pods. In return the Emperor promised to not only protect the people of the Kingdom, but to enrich them both materially and spiri­tually. Emperor Gongsun then gave each Tribe an official name and area to guide, protect, and rule. These were known as the Twelve Houses: Jizhou to the Roosters, Lóngzhou to the Dragons, Shézhou to the Snakes, Yangzhou to the Sheep, Hóuzhou to the Monkeys, Quânzhou to the Dogs, Zhuzhou to the Boars, Shûzhou to the Rats, Níuzhou to the Oxen, Huzhou to the Tiger, Tùzhou to the Hare, and finally Mâzhou to his own people, the Horses.

Despite their promises of fealty, some of the Houses were not loyal to throne. Shocked, the Emperor learned that even his own brother, Chi-you, plotted against him, wanting to disrupt the new Kingdom. Chi-you allied himself with the Houses of Quân and Zhu, and also with several lesser immortal spirits of great power.

The rebels invaded Mâzhou Province and drove towards the shining capital. The two armies met in the valley south of Mâjing. According to legend, Chi-you laid a great blanket of fog that covered the entire valley for three days. Neither army could find the other. On the third day, Gongsun led his troops out of the mists with the aid of the “Heaven and Earth Compass Chariot,” a gift from the Celestial Spirits at his coronation ceremony. The mys­tic glow of the chariot burned a path through the fog and out onto open ground. Upon seeing the Immortals, Gongsun called down upon the battlefield the Dragon spirit who swallowed them whole, thus destroying them and taking their essence. With their powerful allies gone and the magical fog lift­ing, the rebel army was caught in the open by the Emperor’s troops and annihilated.

Chi-you was punished for trying to destroy the Kingdom. His physical form was destroyed, and his soul was imprisoned within a large obsidian pearl. After this there were no other uprisings, and Gongsun’s authority over the Twelve Houses was solidified.

As he had promised, the Emperor guided the Kingdom. He took the knowledge of each of the Houses and collected them into a group of writings known as the Dùn Jiâ Tien Shû, “The Book of the Vanishing Heavenly Stem.” This became the very core of the knowledge and the teachings of the people of the Kingdom, who in turn became the foundation of the Kingdoms and Dynasties to follow. He had copies of the scrolls sent to each of the other Houses, sharing the knowledge so that all would prosper as one. The knowledge and wealth of the twelve Houses advanced by leaps and bounds. Gongsun traveled the land, sharing the teachings with all and honoring each of the Houses for their contribution towards the growth of the Kingdom. At the age of one hundred and eighty, Gongsun was elevated to level of immortal and honored across the lands.

As time went by, Gongsun distanced himself from the day-to-day involvement in ruling the Kingdom and began to devote more time to meditation. During this time, he wrote the Yi-Ching, or “Book of Changes.”  This is a collection of his observations of the ways of nature and the ways of the peo­ple. It would become the center of studies for the Dàoist priests.

With Gongsun’s time taken up in philosophical pursuits, his Minister, Huli-Rui-ning, acted on his behalf in more earthly matters. It was clear that the great Emperor’s reign was drawing to a close, and the Houses began to question him as to who would be his successor, but he never answered. Throughout the Kingdom, everyone asked the same question: Who would follow in the great Gongsun’s footsteps?

Finally, Gongsun came before his people as they prepared to celebrate the birth of the Kingdom and made an unexpected farewell speech. At first there was silence. Then, as one, the crowd rose and let out a great cry in hope of dissuading the Emperor from leaving. Gongsun gently reminded his people that others must have their chance to rule and that his time was now at an end. The old man lifted a hand towards the heavens and transformed into a Qiling. The Celestial Spirits came down, hovering over the city to guide him. The crowd rushed towards their Emperor as he flew into the sky, but could not hold on to him. Led by the spirits, Gongsun flew over the city, and out across the countryside.

The Three Sage Kings Period

The First Sage King — Jang Ren-biao

Following the path of their departing leader, the leaders and magistrates of the Twelve Houses encountered a shepherd named Jang Ren-biao. The rooster held in his hands one of the Twelve Insignia of the Throne. He was shocked to see some of the most important leaders in all the Kingdom standing in front from him. Quickly, they asked him where he had found the item in his hands. His answer was simple: a beautiful Qiling dropped it to him from the heavens. There was a quick discussion. Gongsun’s Minister understood, now, why Gongsun had not named his successor  — secretly, he had chosen this humble shepherd to become the next Emperor.

Many of the Houses doubted the omen. The First Prime Minister, Huli-Rui-ning, led the assembled noblemen and sages to the hidden Heavenly Pool, the secret spring designated by the Spirits as the final test for the one who would be Emperor. The candidate was to plunge himself into this pool, and the true form he would take in Heaven (one of the ruling spirits) would be revealed to those watching. He would then emerge from the pool unharmed. Those who were not qualified would die. This test gave the individual the authority of the Throne and over the Kingdom.

Immediately, three nobles leapt into the pool. The surface began to boil and steam shot into the air. Minutes later, the three nobles’ bodies floated to the surface, dead. Horrified, Jang Ren-biao refused to enter the waters—after all, he was just a mere shepherd!  But the First Prime Minister convinced him that even the heavens demanded it. Jang Ren-biao smiled in resignation at his fate, and walked forward, submerging himself completely within the spring. The assembled ministers saw the form of a Red Phoenix swimming within the pool. The water remained peaceful and calm, and the shepherd climbed out, his body and soul cleansed. No one questioned Jang Ren-biao’s right to the Throne from that point on.

The new Emperor took his place on the Throne as the Sage King Jang, the first of three wise Kings. Huli Rui-ning guided him slowly, tutoring him in the arts of statesmanship. It was not long before the Sage King Jang became more involved in the courts, and eventually, the First Prime Minister faded into the background. He had a large map of the Kingdom made for the Sage King Jang. Then, when all was right, Huli Rui-ning presented the Emperor with a book, Dào Der Jing (“The Book of the Way”), containing all the Minister’s knowledge. Knowing he was no longer needed, Huli Rui-ning then took his leave and left for the west, never to be seen again.

The Sage King Jang Ren-biao read the Dào Der Jing. He began to live a frugal life. Despite living within a luxurious palace, he ate coarse rice and drank tea and wild-herb soups. He did not expand on the glory of the palace but simply maintained it. Even during winter, he would wear the most simple of clothing. Any excess wealth was redistributed back to people. Tradition says that no noble shall live above the Emperor, and as a result the leaders of the Twelve Houses and their nobles were forced to live similar lifestyles. Jang Ren Biao felt responsible for all those under his rule. It was said that his actions pleased the Celestial Spirits so much that no natural disaster befell the Kingdom during his reign of three hundred and sixty years. After three centuries, the Sage King Jang Ren-biao knew he would have to name a successor, yet he felt that none of his children possessed the ability to live through the deadly test of the Pool of Heaven. The Sage King traveled across the land many times  looking for the “One,” the individual to whom he could pass the Throne. It was on one of these trips that Ren-biao found his successor: the tiger Shun Chong-hua.

Sun Chong-hua was a good man, who had fled from an abusive father and stepmother, to settle in a small village near the foot of Tai-Huan Mountain. Shun Chong-hua became a successful farmer, and followed a simple lifestyle similar to that of the Sage King. He helped his neighbors and travelers survive in hard times. His kindness to people became famous. Many went to him for advice, whether it concerned farming or pottery making. Even­tually, the town became very successful and prosperous.

Having heard many good things about Shun Chong-hua and his work, the First Sage King went in search of him. The Emperor wished to test him. He said that he knew of a local spring that could revitalize one’s body and spirit, and commanded Shun to bring back a gourd full of water from it. Shun Chong-hua had no trouble finding the spring and soon returned unharmed. The Sage King Jang Ren-biao poured for both of them and they toasted each other and drank. Afterward, the Sage King Jang Ren-biao announced that the spring was none other than the hidden Heavenly Pool. For Shun to be able to find it, return unharmed, and drink from it, meant the Celestial Spirits had chosen him as the next Emperor. The First Sage King named Shun Chong-hua as his successor and took him back to Mâjing.

Receiving word of the First Sage King’s proclamation, his sons and daughters rushed back to the capital city. Led by the eldest son, Dan Zhu, they begged their father to reconsider his decision. Looking at them, Jang Ren-biao knew none of them were fit to rule and sadly declined their requests. Knowing that they would contest his decision, he took his children and Shun Chong-hua back to the Heavenly Pool. The new King entered the pool and they saw the form of a White Tiger swimming there. Shun Chong-hua emerged unharmed. Several of Jang Ren-bioa’s children backed away, knowing that they were not fit for the Throne, but Dan Zhu persisted. Before anyone could stop him., the King’s son threw himself into the magical pool. His lifeless body floated to the surface. The decision had already been made, and there could only be one ruler.

Shun Chong-hua was proclaimed the next ruler of the Kingdom. Jang Ren-biao’s heart was broken from the loss of his son, and he soon passed away quietly. People mourned him across all the lands.

The Second Sage King — Shun Chong hua

The Second Sage King brought with him a great sense of energy. His first act upon taking the Throne was to forgive his parents and bring them to the Palace. He gave them a place to live and rebuilt his relationship with them. Next, Shun Chong-hua assigned his brother to a government position to help him rule.

The Second Sage King researched the Kingdom. He summoned all the court cartographers and gave orders to have all knowledge of his domain updated. One night, after staring at the large floor map built centuries earlier by Huli Rui-ning, he made the decision to expand the Kingdom. Not only would expansion help benefit the Houses, but it would bring peace and prosperity to the regions beyond the Kingdom’s borders.

The following day, he sent out his troops. They subdued the poorly organized regions quickly. Garrisons were established in the newly occupied lands. They would protect the people and help them improve their fields and roads. The entire Kingdom became energized almost overnight. Those nobles with good skills in government and trade were given positions as governors in these areas. Their coffers ran over as trade developed in these untapped areas. In a matter of years the Kingdom had grown substantially.

The Coming of the Four Evils

Then, one day, disaster struck. Like a tornado, Four Evils swept in from the corners of Shenzhou, spreading death and mayhem. From the South came the Immortal known as Nián. He terrorized new settlers, razed entire towns, and defeated the best of the Imperial troops in the region. From the East came the Immortal Gong-gong. He could control the elements, and used them sweep the coast with storms, destroying crops and livestock. From the North came the demon Han-doù. He rode the winds, spreading plagues and diseases across the countryside. From the West came the Barbarian King Sanmiao. Leading his tribes across the frontier, this three horned rhino swept through Shenzhou like a scythe, destroying imperial forces and looting frontier towns and villages before putting them to the torch.

Seeing Shenzhou on the brink of disaster, the King called for its heroes to defend the people in their hour of need. The first to answer the call was Shou Gou-wei, the greatest of the Shû heroes. Shou led a group of Dàoists to the south and confronted Nián in eight days of battle. Shou finally encountered Nián and after several hours of fighting ran a spear through him. Nián disappeared, but returned the next day, scarred but otherwise completely healed. Again the hero and the Immortal fought, and again the monster was slain. But the following day Nián returned, and yet again the hero dispatched him. This continued for five more days. Each time, the Dàoist hero would kill the creature using a different and more thorough method than before, yet none would permanently slay the Immortal. On the eighth day, Nián returned once more. Shou had nothing left but a few firecrackers, and in desper­ation he lit and threw them into the monster’s gaping maw. The resulting explosion sent the creature reeling, its teeth shattered, and Nián fled back from whence he came. Shou and his band of heroes waited until they were sure the beast would not return, and sent word to the King of their great vic­tory. To this day, firecrackers are used to ward off evil all across Shenzhou.

To the east traveled Hua Yan-zi, the mistress of the famous Tài Ping School of Heavenly Peace. She reached the coastline that Gong-gong terrorized and set her camp. She laid out a feast and began playing beautiful music on her mandolin. The Immortal appeared, consumed the feast, and then quickly van­ished. Every day for a month she repeated this, until one day Gong-gong lowered his guard and remained for a while, listening to the soothing sounds after his meal. He drank wine, which loosened his tongue a bit, and the mistress of Tài Ping ascertained the true name of Gong-gong. She called it out to the heavens and gained power over him, and contained his essence within a gourd. It is said that the power of Gong-gong is such that he breaks out of the gourd for a month during the summer. During this time he wracks the coastline with monsoons and storms, but his power always weakens and his spirit is once more returned to the container.

Upon hearing of this second victory, the King smiled. Two Evils were defeated. He decided to attack the plague demon Han-doù next. Shun Chong-hua fasted for seven days and asked the Celestial Spirits for advice. An emissary journeyed from Heaven and spoke with the King. From this meeting came Tài-shun, “The Book of Heavenly Cures,” with which to battle all the ailments that plagued the Kingdom. Armed with this knowledge, Shun Chong-hua traveled north to the areas affected by Han-doù and began treating the sick. Han-dou gained its power through the people it infected by dis­eases and plagues. As the regions were cleansed of his touch, the monster lost its power and retreated. In the end, Han-doù fled. The demon is some­times seen from time to time visiting the regions around battlefields and sieges, preying on the weak and the dying, but never, since the invasion of the Four Evils, has it returned to do battle against the throne.

With victory over the third Evil attained, the Second Sage King focused his attention to the last of them: the marauding army of Sanmiao. Shun Chong-hua first gathered together his armies. The best smiths of Huzhou constructed Da Fû, a large glowing axe, for the Second Sage King to use in battle. He then marched westward and to meet Sanmiao. After a series of small battles the armies met in what is now Hàn Zhong. The Second Sage King charged forward, surrounded by his elite bodyguards, melting away the ranks of barbarians before them. Shun Chong-hua reached Sanmiao and challenged him to a duel. Almost equally matched, the two battled for hours until, the sun setting, the Second Sage King beheaded the Immortal. Shocked by the death of their leader, the barbarian army was quickly routed. The Second Sage King picked up the spear of his fallen foe and drove it into the ground. He commissioned at that place a monument to those that gave their lives defending Shenzhou against the Four Evils.

In the aftermath of the violence, a peaceful calm fell over Shenzhou. Shun Chong-hua realized that they now needed a wise guide to take his place upon the throne. The Kingdom needed a teacher who could help to unify and integrate the new lands acquired under his rule. It was time for Shun Chong-hua to find the new Emperor.

The Third Sage King — Tù Xie-he

Tù Xie-he was the Chief of Records under the rule of the Second Sage King. He first came to the Emperor’s attention after completing his first book, called Shu Ching or “The Book of History.”  This tome contained references to Shenzhou’s first King, Gongsun, citing examples of speeches, early laws, and mandates from Heaven. It quickly became a classic in teaching both Imperial and regional leaders to rule with wisdom. After reading Shû Ching, the Emperor Shun Chong-hua summoned his Chief of Records, and they discussed at length the course Shenzhou should pursue next. Tù Xie- he agreed that the focus should be to further develop the Kingdom, not only its leadership, but also the people themselves. The Second Sage King then commissioned Tù Xie-he to write more works that would help to properly educate his Kingdom.

In the ten years that followed, Tù Xie-he wrote four more books. The first book was known as Shih Ching, or “The Book of Odes.”  It is a collection of three hundred poems and psalms that both entertain and educate. The second book was the Li Chi, or the “Book of Rituals.” It detailed the proper behavior of rulers, families, and of the people. The third book was Yi-Ching Chi, or “The Companion Book of Changes.”  It further explained the meaning behind Yi-Ching through the use of symbols that  represented both a form of numerology and the natural “way” of things. The fifth book was Chun-qiu, or “Book of Spring and Autumn.” It was a book of one hundred and eight verses of beautiful words, within which was supposedly hidden a prediction of the future. It foretold a division of Shenzhou into warring States, followed by great advances in science, medicine, and philosophy that would eventually help in the establishment of a new, greater Shenzhou. These four books, together with Shû Ching, became known as the Five Clas­sics.

Upon completion of these books, Shun Chong-hua abdicated the throne and quietly went into study, reading the Five Classics till the day of his death. Tù Xie-he picked up where the Second Sage King left off. No one contended the transfer of power, for there was little doubt in the minds of the people that the new Emperor was the wisest man in all the known lands.

The Third Sage King began his work immediately. He traveled into the countryside and visited each of the noble houses, teaching them the fundamen­tals of his works so that they, in turn, could teach their people. During this period Tù Xie-he began to formulate more writings that would further enhance and expand the teachings of the Five Classics. With help from his students, the Emperor developed the fundamental elements of Shenzhou culture by introducing the concepts of the Five Virtues, the Six Relationships, and Jun-zî, or “The Perfect Gentleman.”

Following the Third Sage King’s lead, historians began to keep accurate documentation of events in Shenzhou. It was a time of great learning and exploration. And then, following long decades of prosperity and peace, a terrible natural disaster shook Shenzhou to its very foundations: The Great Flood.

It said by some that the Spirits, unhappy with attempts of the Dàoist mages to attain heavenly magic, ripped asunder the very heart of the land. From this issued forth a great wall of water the length of the Hei Lung Jiang, or Black Dragon River, sweeping all whom had offended the Spirits into the sea. Some blamed the famed Tài Ping School of Heavenly Peace, destroyed as the waters rushed from the hole, while others feared it was another invasion of demons and immortals. As the flood spread, destroying entire villages, towns, and even cities, a call went up for help. The Emperor Tù Xie-he, see­ing this as a test of skills for himself and his people, issued a proclamation. Anyone that could control the raging waters of the Twin Dragons would not only have the thanks of the people, but would be looked well upon by the Heavens—the one to control the river would become the next Emperor. For almost two decades many offered their services and failed, often losing their lives either through shame or carelessness.

After all the years of failure, an architect, a bear by the name Xíong Wei-li came as the twenty-second challenger to test his skill against the Twin Drag­ons. He came from the Minor House of Xiong that had been slowly gaining power in Shenzhou since their region had been taken over by the Second Sage King. The bear saw this as a chance to elevate the position of his House within the Kingdom. Unfortunately, try as he might, he was never able to contain the muddy waters and committed suicide to spare his House the loss of face from his failure.

Undaunted by his father’s defeat, the son of Xíong Wei-li, Xíong Yu, took up the challenge of the flood. And it was he who eventually defeated the river and controlled the raging waters. By wisely working with the river rather than against it, through the use of canals, irrigation, and many small dams, Xíong Yu succeeded where all others had failed. In this way Xíong Yu triumphed over the Great Flood. With his success he brought prosperity to agricultural regions and cities by providing them with a constant and supply of pure water. Tù Xie-he saw in Xíong Yu the makings of a wise Emperor, and the Third Sage King handed down the mantle of Shenzhou as those before him had done.

The Dynasties

The Xíong Dynasty

Following the coronation of Xíong Yu, the day-to-day life in Shenzhou returned to normal. King Yu ruled wisely for over half a century. Eventually he decided that, in his failing age, it was time to elect a new King. Looking over the possible successors, the King decided upon his able-bodied Prime Minister, Níu Dào-jun. While the Minister was very honored, he refused, and suggested that the King’s own son be selected instead. Xíong Yu agreed, and passed the Throne to his son, Xíong Mu-rong.

This event set a precedent that would be followed for generations. Each King handed over rulership, either to his eldest son, or to the closest male member of the family should he not have any male children. King Mu-rong named this lineage the Xíong Dynasty.

The son of Mu-rong, Tian-ti, became King late in his life. Shortly after he ascended to the throne, a major earthquake devastated several mining towns in the Xíongzhou region. It was said that the Earth, displeased with the opening of wounds within its body, was taking revenge on those that had hurt it. Tian-ti ordered metal and silver smiths in the region to sacrifice a portion of all their wares each year to appease the Earth and its Spirit.

In due course, Tian-ti’s son Jin-jian took his place as King of Shenzhou. It was during his reign that the demon Er Gui plagued Tùzhou. The creature consumed crops and caused widespread famine throughout the region. The head of the House, Tù Lingzhi, sought assistance from the Huli Enchant­ress, and together they fought Er Gui. They were able to defeat the demon and saved Tùzhou.

After nearly a century of rule, Jin-jian died. His son, Jue-liang, was a great philosopher and calligrapher. Before taking the throne he had begun deci­phering and expanding the art of Celestial Calligraphy. With the resources of the Shenzhou at his disposal, the King continued the research, forming two great schools dedicated to the art. In the north was the School of Eternal Light, and in the south was the School of Righteous Thought. It was also during this time that Zhu Chao Nan, one of the Eight Perfect Dàoists, was born. It was rumored that Chao Nan had found the Heavenly Pool and sur­vived its test, giving question, even if just briefly, to the legitimacy of the current King. Upon the Dàoist’s death his pupils saw a Blue Dragon fly Heavenward.

Jue-liang had but one surviving son at the time of his death, who was very young. Li-jue was unfamiliar with the responsibilities that went with being King when he took the throne. There had been a series of floods in the King’s homelands, and a practice of ritual sacrifices began in an attempt to appease the River Spirit. This went on for decades, until a Xíong hero named Xiao Feng-xun sought out the Dàoist priests responsible, killed them, and offered an apology to the Spirit and those innocent lives they had taken in its name.

The last of the direct line of Xíong Yu was King Long-tang. A King without an heir, it would be up to his distant cousin to follow his rule. It was dur­ing this time that a severe earthquake rocked the land of Shézhou, destroying its capital and killing tens of thousands that lived there. Led by their leader, Lady Shé Hui-min, the remaining population relocated the capital.

With the destruction of the Shé capital there was a growing feeling of discontent with the King. It was, for all intents and purposes, the high-water mark of the Xíong Dynasty. The period to follow was one of decline. While the Xíong line still controlled the throne, it was becoming apparent that they controlled little else. Increasingly, the Houses were fighting among themselves, and the fringes of Shenzhou suffered from bandit raids and depressed economies. The leaders of the Shenzhou began to shut themselves off from the rest of the people.

The Late Xíong Period

King Lû-tiao, son of the impotent Long Tang, attempted to repair some of the damaging decisions made by his forefathers. He arranged several mar­riages between the Houses in an attempt to end some of the political infighting. While no formal alliances were made, he was able to mend the rela­tionship between the Houses of Quân and Tù (the two most violently opposed factions) and, for a brief time, the land knew peace.

It was during the rule of Lû-tiao’s grandsons that the Xíong Dynasty finally collapsed completely. The first recorded political assassinations began. While rulers often dueled with each other over grievances, their unscrupulous use of assassins was unprecedented, and marked a change in the methods they used to exert political pressure on their opponents. Shenzhou was plunged into chaos.

Half a century and four short-lived Kings later, Shenzhou was on the verge of losing all that it had gained during the era of the Three Sage Kings. The newest King, Chieh, had murdered his own brother and nephew to lay claim to the throne. He led a decadent lifestyle, using the Royal Treasury for his personal whims, all of them grossly fantastic. As voices of opposition began to speak out against him, he quickly silenced them, and his opponents became the first of a number of “sacrifices” made to the Spirits.

Despite this, dissent grew. Several nobles began to plot against the King. They believed the Heavens did not favor this ruler, and that a new line was needed to properly guide Shenzhou. Rumors circulated that, Quân Kai-gan, the King of Quânzhou, had found the Heavenly Pool and passed its test. From this he also gained the knowledge from the heavens to make weapons and armor out of iron. Resources were quickly pooled and a small force of men was equipped with iron weapons. Upon hearing of this, the King sent troops to Quânzhou to crush the rebellion. The Imperial Army met an elite unit of three hundred men at the border. Though outnumbered ten to one, this small force routed the King’s troops and opened the way for open rebel­lion. Soon after, Chieh found himself surrounded and trapped within the Imperial City. Seeing his doom, the King and his family committed suicide. The City was taken, and the entire House of Xíong was hunted down, put on trial and executed for their crimes against the people of Shenzhou.

The Quân Dynasty

Quân Kai-gan took the throne, and spent nearly a century trying to rebuild Shenzhou. But the damage done over more than a century of misrule would be a task for many generations. It was apparent to some that the Heavens approved of the King, who lived to be one hundred and eight.

The following century saw King after King, the sons and grandsons of Quân, trying to mend Shenzhou. They tried to stop the political infighting that had consumed the Houses at the end of the previous dynasty, and worked to reclaim the outer regions of Shenzhou. They also rebuilt the roads and canals that had fallen into disrepair. Their attempts were hindered, however, as the Houses continued their fighting and bickering. Some headway was made between the Houses of Níu and Zhu, ending their conflict for a generation. Heavy-handed treatment of the Kings’ own house of Quân and its enemy Mâ also ended a century-long struggle. The Kings were also continually dealing with peasant uprisings against their local rulers, and often had to send troops to keep both sides from laying whole regions waste.

In addition to these mundane problems, the Kings worked against rogue Dàoist wizards. With the loss of the Tài Ping School over four centuries before, Shenzhou had lost the knowledge and controlling force for Dàoist mages and priests. Numerous self-proclaimed true descendants of the Tài Ping School came and went. The lost knowledge was slowly recovered, but by individuals bent on using it for personal gain and power. There was no cen­tral controlling force to govern these rogues. As a result, Shenzhou was under threat from miscast magic and powerful mages following a “false path.”  One such event happened in within the capital of Shézhou where a sorceress, attempting to summon fire, set fire to the city. Since it was no ordinary fire, it could not be put out by water. It wasn’t until a group of metallurgists and Dàoists made Bing Shan, a magic fan, were they able to blow out the flames. By the time the smoke finally cleared, nearly half the city lay in ruins.

The following century saw more civil unrest. King Zhan-bing was forced to invade his own home, Quânzhou, when peasants and disenfranchised nobles overthrew the government there and killed the King’s uncle. Led by Zhan-bing, the imperial troops marched in, rounded up all the confeder­ates, and had them drawn and quartered. The King then reestablished the government there and returned to the Imperial City

During this uprising, a small event went almost unnoticed along the coast of Shenzhou. A small, primitive sailing ship ran aground. Through help from Dàoist priests, these foreigners were found to be refugees from a large island to the east. They were former slaves of a group of foreign wizard-kings known as the Autarchs. Their small group was eventually assimilated into the region’s population, and records of their travels were placed into the Imperial Library. Ships were eventually sent with ambassadors on board in an attempt to contact this island and establish trade, but they never returned. Myths developed that the land was filled with demons and immortals that ate people, and the quest for the mysterious island ended.

The final chapter in the Quân dynasty came with King Hsin. He was a capable ruler. During his reign the process for making steel was discovered. With an understanding of how metal technology had helped his forefathers gain power, the King controlled the technology and carefully granted rights to produce weapons and armor. Some of the Houses chafed a bit under this tight control, but in the end the people accepted it.

Then the King fell in love with a fox named Huli Mei-rong. She was an enchantress and a rogue Dàoist priestess, and quickly had Hsin under her con­trol. He began to spend large amounts of money at the expense of the people, and built a miniature estate within the confines of the Imperial City. He had exotic items brought in from the Four Corners of Shenzhou. There were fountains of wine and streams of milk and honey with backdrops of mountains made of obsidian. The extravagant living brought criticism from the King’s ministers. With the first cries of opposition, the King, in a fit of anger, had the officials tied to a heated pillar until they burned to death. It was said that Huli Mei-rong stood watching, amused by the executions. What little initial opposition arose was quickly put down through the use of Imperial soldiers and sorcery. All across Shenzhou the people and their rulers came to the same conclusion: the King had lost the Mandate of Heaven. It was time for another to rise and stand against him.

The Zhou Dynasty

The first to do so was Shû Wen, a duke with large land holdings in Shuzhou. The King’s troops and sorcerers quickly crushed his attempt at rebellion. He was captured along with his wife, and spent ten years in prison. It was during this time that he came across a copy of the Dào Der Jing. He spent those years in study when he was not forced to work at punishing menial tasks. Upon his release, many saw him as a broken man, offering tributes to the King to show his fealty. But it was all a false front. Duke Wen had become a Dàoist priest and secretly began to build opposition to the King. He hired weapon-smiths and soldiers, and felt out the leaders of the Houses in search of allies.

One day, Shû Wen was traveling in Tûzhou and met a Dàoist priest named Huang Tài Kung, who led him to the Heavenly Pool. Duke Wen, familiar with the test from his studies, plunged himself into the pool. Huang Tài Kung saw the image of a dragon swimming through the waters and was satis­fied that Shû Wen was the chosen King. As the Duke emerged from the pool, Huang Tài Kung advised him to fast for seven days and prepare himself to receive the Mandate from Heaven. On the seventh day a ball of fire dropped from the sky and landed next to Shû Wen. The fire vanished, revealing a jade tablet similar to that of the one received by the Yellow King thousands of years before. He picked up the tablet and returned to his home.

Upon his arrival, Duke Wen and Huang Tài Kung set about planning the overthrow of the King. Together, they reorganized the people of Shuzhou into five social orders: warriors, literate, farmers, craftsmen and merchants. Each of these social classes had further divisions, allowing for growth within their social element in reward for hard work. The effects were almost immediate, as production and learning increased threefold. Shuzhou was slowly developing into a very wealthy House.

Shû Wen then sold off much of his armory to other houses and merchants. In the public eye this made the him look weak, but behind the scenes the Duke was secretly building forges designed to mass-produce steel. The steel was turned into weapons and armor, which were stored in hidden caches around Shuzhou. Finally, with his own house ready, the Duke began recruiting other nobles. This task was made easier as the King slid further into tyrannical rule over his people. Sensing his slow loss of control, Hsin imposed a tax upon the House of Zhu. Zhu had been the most vocal in opposi­tion towards the King. The House’s nobles were outraged and open talk of rebellion was even heard in the streets.

This single act brought over the nobles from many of the Houses. With their  backing Shû Wen’s forces swelled. He began to make plans with his new resources. A decade after his release from imprisonment, Shû Wen was finally ready to face the King. Despite the oracles’ belief in a Shû King and the waning power of the Quân Throne, Duke Wen knew his foe was still very dangerous. The nobles loyal to him grew impatient and demanded action, but Shû Wen was waiting for the right moment. That moment came when King Hsin invaded Zhuzhou with a large contingent of Imperial troops to preempt a rebellion.

Shû Wen called together the other rebel nobles. They brought with them bodies of troops and massed along the border, ready to drive upon the Impe­rial City. Shû Wen opened up his caches of steel weapons and distributed them to his army. As dawn crept across the open plain, the sunlight glinted off the strong armor and weapons of hundreds of elite Shû warriors. The rebel army began its march towards Mâjing, with Shû Wen at the head of the column and his troops guarding its flanks.

Messengers arrived later that day, warning the King of the army a mere two days’ march from the capital. King Hsin was not worried, for he had over a thousand of his best Imperial Guards surrounding the Palace. There was also the Dàoist magic of his wife Huli Mei-rong. He was sure that together, these forces could defeat any rebel threat. He sent messengers to his forces in Zhuzhou, ordering them to return to the capital and strike the rear of the rebel army. But a sudden flood prevented them from carrying out this move. Even the Celestial Spirits seemed to help the small rebel force.

The two armies met on the plains near Mâjing. A pitched battle of sorcery began as Huli Mei-rong summoned fireballs and winds to destroy the rebels. Together, Shû Wen and Huang  Tài Kung countered these spells with magic of their own. Their combined power overwhelmed the enchantress, and they trapped her spirit in a nearby mountain.

The next stage of the battle began the following day, as the sun rose over Mâjing. King Hsin, distraught over the loss of his wife and fearing a long siege, led his forces to meet Shû Wen’s outside the capital. Familiar with the tactics of his opponent, the Shû Noble defeated the King’s forces just before sunset in bitter fighting. The ferocity of the battle remains unmatched to this day. Hsin fled the capital and Shû Wen, armed with the Mandate of Heaven, entered the city as the new King of Shenzhou. The crazed Hsin was later captured as he attempted to flee Shenzhou in hopes of raising a barbarian army to take back Mâjing. Rather than executing the deposed ruler, for Shû Wen could not slay his own King, he had him installed as his First Minister.

Shû Wen set into motion a change of ministers and set out the loyal nobles to keep a watchful eye upon the Houses. He then began the long and painful process of rebuilding Shenzhou. But the problems he saw could not be completely erased. Centuries of misrule had left their mark upon the Houses. Few trusted each other completely. The King and the nobles involved in the rebellion shared a vision of reclaiming the Golden Age of Shenzhou, but this was not true of the leaders of the Houses. Shû Wen became depressed and spent many long hours in counsel with his son, Duke Wu, the new leader of Shuzhou. Eventually, on his death bed, the First Minister gave his position to his son.

Duke Wu swiftly took charge. He traveled to Mâjing and killed the now insane Hsin for his crimes against the Kingdom. He announced that, unlike his father, he was not a subject of the Quân Dynasty but the leader of Shuzhou. He then sent in motion a series of decrees that changed laws that had held sway for centuries. It was the dawn of a new dynasty called Zhou, or “Divine Center.”  It would be protected by the peripheral states. No more would the Kingdom be governed by races, but by an idea of one centralized nation called Zhongguo or “The Middle Kingdom.”  The Heavens had spoken through the Mandate his father had received. He knew the task ahead of him and while he shared a vision similar to that of his father, he knew it was not going to be easy.

Emperor Wu and his father’s allies gathered their armies once again and marched against those still loyal to the Quân Dynasty, who still held on to the old ways. They campaigned for two years, overcoming opposition through the use of force. As the war waged, the King redistributed both land and court positions to those loyal to his Zhou Dynasty. At the end of the fighting, ten of the of original Houses were destroyed, their capitals razed, but their peo­ple and countryside untouched. The King had decapitated the Houses. He then redrew their boundaries so that they would no longer be based on Race, but instead on political allegiance and functionality. These new “States” were named in honor of his father’s allies and the help they gave in overthrow­ing the previous corrupt dynasty.

The first was the State of Zhou. It contained Mâjing and the vast plains and hills surrounding the Imperial City. The second was the State of Wei. It was the protector of the State of Zhou, and guardian against northern barbarian invasions. The third was the State of Chi. It stretched from Wei Yu Bay to the northern reaches of the Wei Shir Mountains and protected Zhongguo from the western barbarians. The fourth was the State of Sung. It was a reward for those members of the Quân Dynasty that had recognized Shû Wen’s authority. The fifth was the State of Lû, which stood watch over the State of Sung to prevent old Quân dynasty rebellions. Between them, these five States controlled much of the region once ruled by the Twelve Houses. The King’s rule proved short, however. Three years later, King Wu declared an end to his campaign and began the trek back to Mâjing. Near the cap­ital he fell from his chariot and broke his neck. His eldest son, Cheng, took over where he left off.

A small faction of the opposition that had remained hidden tried to invade Sung and reestablish the Quân Dynasty, but it was quickly put down. With help from the courts King Cheng was able to solidify control and complete the transition begun a decade earlier. He began to expand outside the five existing States, reclaiming lands lost to barbarians during the previous dynasty. He awarded these lands to his brother and sister. They became the States of Jin, to the north, and Cheng, the vast stretch of coastline of the Sea of the East.

The following King, Kang, created the State of Shen. Centered upon the Shen River, the land for this State was parceled out from the State of Zhou.

During an expansive period under the guidance of King Chao, the State of Chu was formed. This territory secured the other side of the Yongyuan Sea, making it a safe region for fisherman and traders alike. As the King made additional gains in territory along the southern coastline, he came upon envoys of the city-state Wu-cheng whose ancestors were from the old House of Shû. During the festival celebrating their return to Zhongguo, he named the region the State of Wu and gave them control over it.

During the next half century a number of Kings occupied the Throne. While none were tyrants, they were not the most exceptional of leaders. It was during the rule of King Hsiao that the State of Chin was created. This newest State controlled the mouth of the Black Dragon River. Nobles from other States began putting forth issues left dormant for centuries, testing the King’s control over the people, the land, and the court.

Historians noted that it wasn’t till the reign of King Yi that the decline in power truly began. He was not well respected among the leaders of other States, and was often sick. He also meddled in the internal affairs of the States, often naming successors of his own choosing. Rumors circulated that the Shû Dynasty had lost the Mandate of Heaven.

Upon his death Yi’s son, Li-tu, took the throne. Shortly thereafter, barbarians began raiding the towns and small villages along the borders of Jin and Chi. The young King sent a large portion of the Imperial Guard to defend the western regions of Zhongguo.

During this period Li-tu set into place a number of laws that declared all common land as private royal grounds. No commoner could hunt, fish, or chop timber on these lands. The people voiced their anger in the streets. Around the Kingdom there were isolated incidents of looting and burning of Imperial structures. Public gatherings were outlawed and were punishable by death. Even the nobles of the other States began to question the author­ity of the Throne and decided to place an embargo upon the Imperial Palace. The tithes paid annually to the King stopped. Seeing his Kingdom on the verge of rebellion, the King fled the palace and went into exile in the State of Shen. Despite his absence, a Dàoist priest, Tài Zhu, proclaimed the heav­ens still favored the Zhou Dynasty. He then selected the noble Duke Hou to act as minister in the King’s stead. Duke Hou quickly dissolved the dam­aging decrees and brought back a level of normality to the day-to-day life in Zhongguo.

The young prince Jing took the throne after Li-tu died in exile. He changed his name to Hsuan, or “the one who returns home.”  King Hsuan continued the war against the barbarians, and eventually forced them back. The States of Jin and Chi both began building a series of fortifications, joined together by a wall stretching along their borders. This added a new buffer between the outlying regions of Zhongguo and the barbarians of the west and north. The Middle Kingdom was peaceful as a new Zhou King had emerged and established proper authority over the people.

It was during this period of calm that contact was reestablished with the fabled island of Calabria. First were the slavers and pirates; on the run from persecution, they would run from the Island’s waters and sail directly west, eventually making contact with the local villages along the coastline. The old tales of Autarchs and demons were replaced with stories of strange, foreign cities and a hint of possible trade. Worried that further ships would arrive and establish a foothold upon the continent, Emperor Hsuan pushed into the vast wilderness north of the State of Cheng. Here he established trade routes and ports far away from the heart of Zhongguo. He named this territory Yen, the twelfth and final State. Here, foreigners sailed to trade in gold, and in a new weapon called the gun, in exchange for silks, slaves, and spices. An open trade route was developed across the seas, and eventually trade with the Houses of Calabria became commonplace. Regardless of the trade relations, the foreign traders were usually not allowed to travel beyond the port cities in which they harbored.

Decades passed and King Hsuan continued his rule. However, he had no son to follow him after his death. When he passed away, his cousin Yu took the throne.

The East Zhou Period

Again, a tyrant had become King. Yu ruled with an iron hand. The court withdrew its support of him quickly, and respect for Imperial rule dropped. Zhongguo was hit with a series of droughts that destroyed crops, stopped the flow of rivers, and dried up wells. These events were taken as a sign of Heaven’s dissatisfaction with Yu’s rule. As the sun baked the land, the pleas of the people fell upon deaf ears. Closed off behind the great walls of the Imperial Palace, Yu cared little for his citizens. He removed his wife and son to their home city of Hong Non and elevated his concubine and her son over them. The Duke of Jin protested this exile (as the Queen was his daughter); King Yu simply reminded him of his “place” and told him to do as he was bid. The Duke of Jin swallowed his pride publicly, and began to make plans. Once again rumors that the Zhou Dynasty had lost the Mandate of Heaven, and that a change was coming, began to circulate.

Hearing omens of defeat and rumors of the Mandate’s loss, King Yu decided to become more visible. On a rare occasion the King traveled the coun­tryside of the State of Jin, surveying the damage that five years of drought had caused. As he entered a valley near the capital of An Ding, he looked up to see barbarians surrounding him. His retreat had been cut off. Angered at the treatment of his daughter, the Duke of Jin had allowed a force of bar­barians from the north to enter his State unmolested and find the King. After a heroic stand by the King’s bodyguard, Yu was killed and the barbarians fled back across the border.

Prince Yi-jiu, the son of the Queen, made plans to take back his rightful place upon the Throne. The armies from the States of Chin, Zheng, and Jin protected him as he consulted with the heavens and fasted for seven days. He led the combined armies against the capital to take back the Impe­rial Palace from the Concubine and her son. Upon his arrival, he found the Palace deserted. She had fled, fearing for the life of her son, and had taken a goodly portion of the Imperial treasury with her.

Yi-jiu did not take the Throne immediately, but rather waited to see if someone else would appear with the blessings of the Spirits and the Mandate of Heaven in hand. None came, and so, after seven more days, he humbly took the throne, renaming himself King Ping, or “King of Peace.”   During that spring, the rains came, replenishing wells and rivers, and once again the fields of Zhongguo flourished. King Ping went about the lands of the Middle Kingdom to personally oversee the relief of villages and towns. The people rejoiced over his wisdom and saw him as favored by the Heavens.

Today, Zhongguo continues to prosper under the guidance of a kind ruler. The rule of King Ping has now known nearly two decades of peace. Some still question whether the Zhou Dynasty still has the Mandate of Heaven, or if change is afoot. Who, if any, would be the ones to replace them?  Daily life continues, as peasants and merchants are too busy to worry about such things.