The darkest hour (open)

[Fu Sheng]

Spring 184 AD


Winter had finally come to an end. Spring began anew and although the early rains were still due to come, the first leaves began to sprout from the naked trees and a tenuous sense of joy was starting to show in the cities along with the first blossoms of the season. Yet Spring was not so much of a reason for joy that year for Sheng, for it had come with disturbing news. A letter arrived in Sheng's residence one day, summoning him with urgency to the capital. Taken by surprise with the sudden call to Luo Yang, he received the letter, apprehensive.

The message read:

"Fu Sheng of the Fu familly is hereby summoned to the city of Luo Yang, capital of the Han Empire, as to address a series of questions regarding a number of assets of the Fu familly. In light of the recent passing of one Fu Xuan, the past 23rd of December, Fu Sheng is appointed by will as the sole inheritor of all goods, properties and titles belonging to the latter. The summary list of all assets is as follows:

(a long list goes on describing a numerous amount of goods; among them lie the deed to the Fu family Estate in the capital, a number of exotic and expensive pieces of furniture.)

Your presence is required with the utmost urgency in the capital as to put all affairs in order. Furthermore we wish to inform you that the funeral services will be held on the 7th on the high temple of the city. We offer you our most heartfelt condolences,

The Si Prefecture"

Sheng could not tell what had stricken him the hardest, if whether the sudden news of his father's passing, or the thought of being reunited with him upon years of nothing but cold silence between the two of them or even the fact that his father had decided to name him as his sole heir, despite Sheng having turned his back upon him long ago. All these thoughts drew Sheng into a vortex of discomfort as he absorbed the ill tidings, as he soon found himself incapable of standing on his own two legs, holding on to the messenger himself. Moments later, after having called the handful of servants that composed the household of his estate and having had a moment to take a breathe, Sheng came back to himself. His servants all observed him appalled, never had that man lost his nerve before, even when things seemed the most dire, yet there he was shaken by one letter.

As the date grew closer, Sheng finally set his mind on giving the matter some closure, upon sleepless nights and days without so much as being able to eat. He left for the capital, insisting on traveling on his own, despite the warnings of rising banditry and political turmoil in the region, and arrived safely at the capital's gates at dawn, two days later, in the very same day of the funeral. He didn't show a hint of exhaustion, despite the tireless journey from Chang An, but yet a blank expression on his face, the face of a man resolute on fulfilling his duty. He journeyed through the gloomy streets of Luo Yang, lit by a tenuous sunrise that began to take shape in the indigo coloured sky. The streets were already starting to get crowded with the numerous rural workers taking to the fields and the artisans beginning to set their stalls along the large veins of the city. Their faces showed no sign of happiness and their cheek bones dug deep into the jaw with the hunger they went through everyday.

Sheng made plans to visit the imperial clerk before attending the funeral mass, as to close affairs as soon as possible. As he traversed the maze of streets and avenues all the way to his family's old mansion, the sun slowly began showing itself, revealing a scene right in the middle of the street. He observed carefully as a man, not too old and practically bony struggled to wrestle a loaf of bread away from a guard, twice as larger than him. He stood there, watching as the man made a futile effort to fight against his own misery. Then, something hit Sheng deep in his conscience when he saw the guard kicking the poor man on the floor, laughing crudely as he cried out in pain. He rushed towards them and placed himself between the two of them with his arms stretched, facing the guard right in the eyes.

"Hey you! Stand aside, this is none of your concern!" - blustered the guard outloud 

"Enough of this! Can't you see the man's had enough?" - Sheng replied, resolute.

"And what's that to you? You're interfering in my work, now stay out of my way or you'll get some too!"

"Your duty to the people of the empire is to protect them, to stick up to the weak and uphold justice, not to brutalize these poor souls. Know your place guard or I shall have your prefect know of your feats!"

The brutish guard took some time to assess the much more frail man before him, it wouldn't be hard to drop him on the floor along with the other fellow, but seeing from his outfit, he'd probably have more coming than what he had hoped for, so he stood down and carried on arguing with Sheng, trying to put some sense into his madness.

"This man is nothing but a thief, a lowlife scum. He took a loaf of bread from a local merchant and ran off without paying, he had it coming and the law says I can throw him in jail, any way I can!" 

"Then why do you insist on beating this man into a pulp? You're much stronger than him and you've already made your point to him, so he's no more of threat to you than an insect. Is there any need for such harsh treatment to this man, whom you consider a "scum", when he is nothing more than a poor peasant seeking something to fill his empty belly with?" - Sheng, took a moment to help the poor man up and wiping himself off, before continuing - "There are fouler, worse criminals out there, yet I see you here, picking on a weak man that can barely stand up on his own two feet. I will pay for his misdoing, so that you may leave him in peace and go where you are required." - he said throwing a handful of coins at the guard.

The guard grumbled as if trying to say something, but he turned around, swayed by the bribe. He probably figured it was hardly worth the bother starting trouble with an apparently upstanding citizen over some petty food thief.

The man dropped to his skinny knees crying as he tried to come up with the words to thank his strange saviour - "Thank you!... Thank you!... God bless you sir! If it were not for you that bully would have my guts spread across the pavement. I was only looking for some food!... I'm so hungry sir..."

"Please" - Sheng replied stretching his hand to help the man back on his feet - "No man should be subjected to this kind of humiliation for seeking something so essential to life as is to feed oneself. Have you tried looking for work? You look young, perhaps there's something to be had for a man like you."

"I did sir! But no one would take me as an apprentice in their workshops since artisans nowadays are too poor to hire help and there's also more than enough people working the fields. The only option I have left is the army, but I don't wanna' risk my limb in the warlord's wars!"

Sheng could see the man was right, seeing as things went, many more shared the same fate as that poor soul. Realizing what little he could do for him, Sheng reached for his pockets and handed the man some more gold wrapped around a piece of tissue, made up from a piece of his sleeve he had just torn from his own robes. The man thanked Sheng with fuss, constantly bowing to him, throwing a thousand thanks at him as he stepped away, with the prized bread and an hefty alms. As the crowd that had gathered around the site cleared away, Sheng carried on towards his destination, still focused on his task, but with his conscience more at ease.