Emperor's Strategy, Ch.10

The essay for Chapter 10.

The chapter opens with a description of a man who is unwell, being tended to by a concerned caretaker. The caretaker swiftly attends to the man, checking his pulse and asking after his health. The man dismisses the servants, leaving only one companion. The caretaker expresses worry, referring to the man by a familiar name, but the man seems displeased by this. The caretaker is perplexed, but treads carefully, asking if the man is displeased. The man tersely responds that he is not. The caretaker then confesses his deep affection for the man, stating that from the moment he laid eyes on him, he loved him unconditionally, as if their meeting was preordained. This man, it seems, holds the caretaker's heart. The conversation then shifts to the man's health and treatment. The caretaker expresses concern over the potency of the medications being administered, fearing they may be too strong and damage the man's constitution. However, the man rebuffs this, stating that stopping the treatment is not an option. The caretaker reluctantly agrees to continue, but suggests a more gradual approach to avoid raising suspicion.

The caretaker then reveals that there is a certain individual, a eunuch, who closely watches over the man and wields significant influence. He warns that this eunuch must not discover their actions, as he would swiftly and quietly eliminate them. The man acknowledges the eunuch's power and connection to a former concubine, as well as the eunuch's unwavering loyalty to the current ruler. The caretaker then recalls hearing rumors about the man's origins, specifically mentioning a rare and nearly extinct tribe renowned for its members' unparalleled beauty, both male and female. These individuals were said to possess an innate allure that could bring men to the heights of ecstasy, and their ability to extend life was the stuff of legend. However, the caretaker struggles to reconcile these tales with the man's well-known reputation for cruelty and tyrannical behavior. As the caretaker reflects on the man's physical attributes - his delicate skin, perfect shoulders, dainty feet - he finds himself captivated, wondering if the man's movements would be as enchanting as the descriptions of his tribe. The caretaker is snapped out of his reverie by the man, who coldly reminds him to stay focused.

The caretaker then recalls seeing a vivid, blood-red phoenix-like marking on the man's back, a signature trait of the storied tribe. However, the man claims to have never seen such a mark before, leaving the caretaker puzzled. Delving deeper into ancient texts, the caretaker learns that this crimson emblem is the hallmark of the tribe's most exalted members, passed down only to their offspring. The caretaker is overwhelmed by the implications. If this man is indeed of that rare lineage, how can his brutish nature and violent tendencies be reconciled with the tribe's legendary grace and beauty? The caretaker struggles to make sense of it, unable to picture this tyrannical figure possessing the alluring qualities associated with the tribe.

Yet, the caretaker cannot ignore the physical evidence, the tantalizing hints that suggest a connection to this remarkable heritage. He finds himself torn between the man's ruthless reputation and the captivating vision of him as a member of the fabled tribe. The caretaker decides to suppress these thoughts, convincing himself that such a link is impossible, that the man's cruelty and the tribe's refinement cannot coexist. As the caretaker prepares to depart, the man coldly dismisses him, leaving the caretaker with a lingering sense of unease and a heart full of conflicted emotions. The man's true nature, and the secrets of his past, remain shrouded in mystery, leaving the caretaker to grapple with the unsettling disconnect between the man's outward appearance and his reputation for tyranny.