Prologue
For three weeks, life had seemingly moved on, yet their hearts refused to forget. Their strength had withered, as though every ounce of will had abandoned their bodies. The world became a place of grief....grief so deep it could only fade with the final breath.
Their happiness had turned into the price paid for someone else's power and pleasure....people who thought only of themselves and looked down on all beneath them. If true power had rested in the hands of every soul, then he would have been the first man alive to shake even the cold hearts of tyrants.
Before those sorrowful weeks ended, the life of Xiao Zinnu's family had been like diamonds embedded in gold. It wasn't wealth being spoken of, for wealth was the least of what they valued or desired; rather, it was their unity....an unshakable bond of love.
They cried together at each other's pain, laughed together in moments of joy, healed one another's wounds, and stood as one in every storm.
The Celestial Beiping Empire
(Beijing Name in old times)
Long ago, on a great country Tang Era, in what is now called China, lay the powerful Beiping Empire, renowned for its riches, especially its abundant gold.
The Beiping Kingdom was a vast empire governed by great kings whose legends and histories would never fade. They possessed not only gold but also fertile lands, abundant forests, and thriving livestock. Trade routes connected them to distant lands, with goods flowing in and out of their borders.
Its people were known for their striking presence and dignity. Yet, like any other land, beauty and flaw existed side by side. The kingdom was home to diverse tribes and languages, with the Mandarin-speaking clans being the most influential.
The most remarkable thing about Beiping was its respect for its ancestral customs and traditions, especially the reverence for power and authority. Even when foreign influences seeped into their world during an era of colonization, their culture and royal system remained unshaken.
No power rivaled that of the royal throne. From ancient times to the present age, every decision of the empire flowed from one source... the reigning sovereign seated upon the throne of the The Supreme Sovereign, a title given only a ruler of rulers King of kings.
The influence of this throne stretched across the entire realm. No other kingdom, not even the wealthiest or most rebellious, dared raise its voice against Beiping's authority. The king's face itself was a mystery, rarely seen except during annual royal ceremonies, when he appeared from afar on horseback, his presence alone enough to silence crowds.
By the laws of the empire, every crown prince, upon turning seven, was removed from public view to be educated in secret, learning leadership, diplomacy, and every aspect of life as preparation for the throne. When he finally came of age, he would be revealed to other royal houses in a grand, sacred ceremony....though only his eyes could be directly gazed upon.
Such a ceremony meant one thing: the reigning monarch was preparing to step down and pass the throne, even while still alive. Those who resisted such tradition never revealed their heir until death forced succession upon them.
King Wang Murong of the Celestial of Beijing Empire passed away, leaving behind only one son to inherit the throne. He had no other male heirs, only wives and concubines.
History tells of no Supreme Sovereign as powerful as King Wang Murong, whose reign dominated not only Beiping but extended its influence across the entire region of Tang, China. His authority and might commanded fear and respect from every neighboring kingdom.
He accumulated unimaginable wealth and carried out monumental works that would be remembered not only in Beiping but throughout China. Even powerful foreign nations spoke his name with hesitation and fear.
King Murong treasured his only son beyond measure, more than any ruler before him. Unlike previous heirs whose lives were at least partly known, this prince vanished from public life at the age of three, and no one knew where or how he lived.
Yet the king spoke his name constantly....sometimes more than ten times in a single day. The frequent mention of his son led many to believe that this prince would be unlike any ruler before him.
Their suspicions proved true. When KingWang Yibo (formerly Prince Yibo, son of King Murong) finally took the throne, he became a sovereign even more fearsome than his father, with stories that struck terror deeper than anything previously known.
Following the ancient laws of Beiping, when Prince Yibo turned Thirty, he was formally presented to the people. As with every heir before him, no one saw his face....not even his eyes...because he wore specially crafted glass coverings that hid his features completely.
Only one month after this ceremonial unveiling, King Murong abdicated the throne, allowing his son to rule. In keeping with royal tradition, King Wang Yibo married one woman two concubines, each from powerful noble families of Beiping.
But tragedy followed immediately. Only seven days after King Yibo's ascension, the former king Murong fell gravely ill and, within a day, died....a shock that shook the entire kingdom.
Before the people could recover, one of King Yibo's wives died, followed the very next day by another. Within two months, the third wife also died. Whispers began to spread, but fear kept every tongue silent.
Six months later, King Yibo married two more noblewomen. Yet again, within a year, both brides died. Shockingly, he married two more, and they too perished within a year.
The cycle continued until he had married and lost women from ten different royal households, each marriage ending in mysterious death.
By now, the fear among the people of Beiping was unimaginable. They dared not speak, hardly even breathed, living like mice trapped beneath the watchful gaze of a hunting hawk.
Tell me....what kind of sound do you think their breath made?
***
His name was Zhan, but his parents and everyone in the community affectionately called him Xian. The family had four children in total. Huan was the eldest son, followed by Juan female, then Feng female too, and finally the youngest, Zhan.
Their father, Xiao Zinnu...whom they fondly called Babiy....was a farmer and beekeeper, while their mother, Sang...whom everyone called Mah....tended the home and the family.
They were born and raised in the Beiping kingdom, a land of wealth and prosperity passed down through generations. It was a nation blessed with gold, fertile lands, thriving agriculture, and an abundance of fruits and livestock. Despite its riches, there were still those who lived as commoners, like Xiao's family.
Babiy was a humble and cautious man, always ensuring his children received proper education and guidance. Their home, though modest, overflowed with warmth, love, and joy.
They had no greater ambition than to bring happiness to one another. Illness and joy were shared equally among them; when one fell sick, they all cared as if it were their own pain, and when one rejoiced, the whole house celebrated. They were not only family but also best friends.
Each of them carried dreams... some written on paper, some kept silently in their hearts, some spoken out loud, and some buried deep within their souls. Some dreams had already come true, while others had been shattered by bitter twists of fate, leaving behind tears and broken hopes.
The turning point of their lives happened four days before the Annual Grand Festival of the Beiping Empire....a day etched into their history, unforgettable to their hearts, and impossible to erase even after death.
Every month, Babiy delivered three jars of honey to the royal palace, but for the festival, he delivered ten. He was the only beekeeper trusted by the kings of Beiping for generations, even during the reign of King Murong, and the trust continued under King Yibo himself.
Because of this, their home was often surrounded by guards, ensuring nothing threatened the honey supply so treasured by the royal court.
On that fateful day, four days before the festival, Babiy was unwell, so he entrusted Huan to lead his siblings to the large beekeeping farm, where they were to harvest and prepare the honey for delivery to the palace.
Had Babiy known what fate awaited him and his family, he would never have allowed them to leave....not even in a dream.
But fate is beyond control.
They left home excited, for it was rare for Babiy to allow them into his farm. Not only that, but they seldom ventured outside except for school, and even then, they went veiled to hide their unusual, captivating beauty that drew attention wherever they went. On this day, however, they left unveiled, unaware of the storm about to shatter their golden happiness.
The siblings worked joyfully, completing every task Babiy assigned them. They picked fresh fruits to carry home, each planning what they would do with them during the upcoming festival.
They returned home just as the sound of royal drums and horns thundered across the town.... sounds so strange and powerful that even the villagers paused in awe. Such music was usually heard only during the king's travels through distant roads, never within the neighborhoods themselves.
Zhanxianyibo💚❤️💛