They rested for the day in the inn and packed their belongings in the morning after. Yuzhang’s representative has already left for Chang’an. And so the Wei family had to rush. They passed three villages and stayed the night in the forth. Their journey was undisturbed, escorted by two manticores, a hydra and a dragon. As they were. Marek has stayed with Liu Ju and has adopted little Bao. He had said that he would hold the wedding for the return journey of the Wei family. Nikola had teased him that there might not be a wedding to which the tiger had responded by hitting his creator’s nose with his tail.

During the night representatives of Yuzhang’s cultivation sect came to inspect their beasts. They have never seen a dragon like theirs before and so lanterns were brought to light up the night and so that the dragon can be painted. When asked why the beast was so docile Penemue simply created another one in front of the cultivators. She was asked to make more, but she refused. If the dragon laid eggs, then the offspring would be wild beasts and then they would need to be killed.

They moved forward and reached Changsha with ease. They passed the time playing with the snow and asking the drivers about potential dangers. But the closer to Chang’an they got the fewer there were. The most dangerous thing they saw on the road was a cyclops of a small cat with three tails. The Hydra didn’t see it and so the poor cat ended up trampled. They buried it on the side of the road and kept going.

With Ba they said their goodbyes to the Yangtze. It was frozen solid by now and Penemue made special shoes with blades on their soles and the Wei family spend a relaxing day sliding on the ice. Many people demanded the shoes too. Penemue patented them quickly and then sold the patent to the magistrate for a thousand golden coins. The blacksmith and shoemaker of Ba made many of these shoes, but they were a luxury good. Many still got them as Ba was near the border and much trade passed through it and so the people were wealthy.

They spend the New Year at Shu. They watched the parade and even their own beasts participated, on behest of the town’s magistrate. Everyone was trying to touch the dragon. People spoke with the manticores. The Hydra was given a wide berth as it hissed at everyone who tried to come too close. Then, on the first day of the new year, Nikola felt the heartbeats of his children for the first time. He celebrated by having the inn owner make a feast for all the guests. Many of the town’s folk came to congratulate him as well. The tale of the foreign prince and his two beautiful wives spread in the town and the Wei family got invited to many dinners. But they had to continue on to Chang’an.

The Wei river came in sight and with it the capital city. Nikola marveled at it’s many pounds and gardens. It’s almost never ending market street and the bridges that connected the different residential areas. A man dressed in black approached them and handed them a scroll.

“You must go to the palace at once.” Said the messenger. “Least your Han Shanyuan gets eliminated.”

“But there are three days more of the competition.” Said Wei Caihong and the messenger sneered at him.

“Will you question the emperor’s wisdom? You, who married without his blessings not once but twice? Make it to the palace in an hour or go home.” The messenger was off and Han Shanyuan looked ready to cry. Wei Caihong placed a hand over his shoulder.

“We’ll make it and you will win. You have charisma and luck on your side.” Said Wei Caihong and the drivers ushered the horses towards the palace. They made it with fifteen minutes to spare, but they didn’t have time to change in their formal robes. Only Nikola was wearing cotton but he just shrugged. It kept him warm and the emperor wasn’t going to be judging him.

The drivers remained by the wagons but they wished Han Shanyuan good luck. They made it inside and were escorted to the throne room. There were children standing by the side looking nervous. They must be the other town’s participants. The Wei family bowed as one to the emperor. A muscular man dressed in yellow and with a beard. They remained bowed until the emperor told them to raise.

“Cousin Wei, you have become a woman in truth?” Asked the emperor and Wei Caihong nodded.

“It was an accident, cousin Han. Although I do not regret it.” Said Wei Caihong. The emperor laughed and the court laughed with him.

“Well, if you have eaten a mermaid’s heart sooner you would have been an empress now. Your beauty is beyond compare.” Nikola clenched his fists at that. He had half a mind to attack the emperor for the little regard he was showing Wei Caihong.

“And the one who looks ready to skewer me must be your husband. The exile from Troy. Tell me, mage, who gave you permission to practice magic in my empire?” Asked the emperor and suddenly Nikola remembered that magic was outlawed here.

“Your people were in need, your imperial majesty. And I could help them only with magic.” Said Nikola, not looking at the emperor. The man snorted and then turned to his brother.

“You have come back to me, brother Wukong. And you have travelled with the Wei family for much of their journey. You tell me. What should I give them? Life or death?”

“Life.” Said Han Wukong without thinking about it. “And if you try to give them death then you will have to execute me as well and be known as a kinslayer. I will not let anything happen to these people.”

The court became enveloped in silence as the two brothers stared each other down. Then the emperor laughed again and made a sing for a small boy to move forward.

“You see this, boy? Your uncle cares more about cousin Wei’s family than his own. Which one of you is Han Shanyuan?” Asked the emperor and Han Shanyuan stepped forward. Many of the gathered nobles gasped at the name. The boy was related to the emperor himself.

“I know who your mother was, a sister of mine by a concubine.” Said the emperor and Han Shanyuan bowed to his uncle. “Tell me, nephew, why is a Han writing about surviving off of coppers?”

“After mother died we were left by ourselves, both I and Han Fengfan, my baby sister.” Han Shanyuan took his sister from Ryota and looked at the emperor.

“You may present her to me.” Said the emperor. Han Shanyuan climbed the steps to the throne and the emperor looked down at Han Fengfan.

“My sister was a wild one.” Said the emperor as he played with a cluster of Han Fengfan’s hair. “She never wanted to marry. And now her children are living off the mercy of a foreigner and the Wei family. Han Wukong, do you agree to adopt these children in order to repent for taking a curse not meant for you?” Asked the emperor and Han Wukong began to nod when Han Shanyuan looked at the emperor, panic clear on his face.

“I don’t want to be separated from the Wei family. They are good to me. I will become a blacksmith thanks to them one day. Please, your imperial majesty, don’t take me away from my family.” Han Fengfan chose this time to let out a wail and the emperor frowned.

“Silence.” He ordered and both of the Han siblings quieted. “Wei Caihong, will you adopt these children?” He asked and Wei Caihong shook his head.

“My eldest and your nephew like each other. It would be wrong if I adopt them. Not to mention that Ryota here and little Fengfan are both going to get married and…”

The emperor hit his throne. He gave Han Fengfan back to Han Shanyuan and waved him away.

“You were always grasping, Wei Caihong. It was not enough for you that you landed yourself a wealthy husband that could teach you more magic. Oh no. You had to get the Han-Wei marriage you have always wanted. But no matter, these two are so far below in the line of succession that you might as well have married your sons to commoners.” Han Shanyuan looked at his uncle with sad eyes, but then he got back to his family and he gave Han Fengfan back to Ryota who kissed her temple and told her she was the best princess in his eyes. Han Shanyuan smiled at that. So what if the Han family thought nothing of him? The Wei family cherished him.

“The vote was already cast.” Said the emperor and Han Shanyuan felt a lump in his throat. He wasn’t even allowed to defend his work. “Bring me the vote’s results.”

An official came by with a scroll and began to read from it.

“The fame of the essay of childe Han has conquered the empire. And so, with the emperor’s blessings, he wins the competition.”

“By my blessing?” Asked the emperor, brows furrowed. “No matter, I’m sure one of these promising children will best him during the state exam. He wants to be a simple blacksmith, after all. A simple Wei…” He made a pause and grinned at the court but no one laughed. The family Wei and the family Han were both in the line of succession, even if the family Han had the first place.

“Nikola of Troy, step forward.” Said the emperor, trying to rob Han Shanyuan’s glory any way he could. Nikola stepped forward uncertainly.

“Magistrate Wu has put you forward as a candidate for the office. You think you can buy your post as you bought my cousin?” Nikola bit the inside of his cheek to make sure he wouldn’t yell at the emperor. He was so going to curse him with a slow working sickness when he was back home.

“Wei Caihong and I love each other. And I didn’t buy Magistrate Wu’s favor.”

“You found him a jade deposit, the biggest in my empire. Perhaps even in the world.” Bit back the emperor.

“I needed silks for my wife.” Said Nikola and he smirked as the emperor looked like he was about to pop a blood vessel. This man hailed from the family of Liu Gaozu, Wei Caihong had told him. They have been a cadet branch of the Wei family. As far as Nikola was concerned they were commoners.

“A trader came to my court with fine weapons and my rival bought them all up.” Said the emperor. He rouses from the throne and went closer to Nikola. “So far my empire has given you much, but you have given me only trouble.” The emperor was shorter than Nikola, even with his ridiculous tall hat with it’s silly beads. Nikola grinned at him, not concerned in the slightest if he got the position of magistrate or not.

“Perhaps his majesty should weight that trouble together with all I did for his people. The valley between the coast, which includes my home, Danyang and the now destroyed Pangong, was plagued by beasts. Beasts that shouldn’t have been allowed to live.” Said Nikola and many of the court murmured their agreement. The emperor went back to his throne and he got a scroll and he gave it to the same official as before.

“Let it be known that Nikola of Troy is hereby given the office of magistrate. To rule until he is replaced or until death. No option for retirement is to be given to him.” Nikola bowed at the emperor who waved him off. Nikola could see hemorrhoids in his future. And warts on his face.

“Next matter of the court!” Said the emperor and a noble lady stepped forward. She was coming from Ba and she wanted to gain investors for her project. The Wei family made it out of the throne room, guided by an official. Then they went to the wagons and then to the inn, where they were to meet with their weapons caravaner and travel back towards their village.