The Wolf King and I
Chapter 19
The Han empire is not as prosperous as I'd imagined it would be. Hindi din nabanggit sa manhwa ang kahit ano pa man mula dito maliban sa madalas nilang pagpapadala ng spy sa Qin. Kaya hindi ko inaasahan ang mga bagay na makikita ko mula dito.
It was already morning when we arrived in its capital. Matapos akong himatayin sa loob ng kagubatan ng Qin ay nagising nalang ako sa loob ng isang maliit na kulungan na hila ng dalawang kabayo. At sa pagmulat ng mga mata ko ay ang kakaibang lugar na ito ang bumungad sa akin.
There is a visible sign of great poverty.
Luma at sirang mga kabahayan ang nadadaanan namin. Ang mga tao dito ay halatang naghihikahos habang nakikita ko ang sobrang payat na mga katawan nila.
There are children running behind my small cage asking for food. Napatingin naman ako kay Yaoran na nakasakay sa kabayo at namimigay ng mga prutas na nakuha niya mula sa kagubatan ng Qin.
This place is dead.
Hindi ako nasanay mula sa napakarangya at napakayaman na Qin na wala kang makikita ni kahit isang pulubi mula doon. Zhang Wei may be a tyrant and evil, but he did a great job of creating resources for his people. Habang dito sa Han ay puro pulubi ang mga taong makikita mo.
Sa sobrang kalunos-lunos na kalagayan na nakikita ko ay nakalimutan ko ng matakot para sa buhay ko. I just got kidnapped from Qin into this unknown place, but I can't feel any fear. Instead, I can feel my heart breaking for all of these people.
Nang makarating kami sa palasyo ng kaharian ay hindi ko maiwasang maikumpara ulit ito sa Qin.
Qin's palace is grand, while Han's palace is old and shabby. Teka, wala na bang budget na pampaayos ang Emperor dito?
Yaoran opened my cage at tinulungan akong bumaba. Tinignan ko siya pero nakayuko lang siya na para bang hindi niya ako kayang tignan sa mga mata. Throughout our journey, Yaoran is only gentle with me.
Hindi niya ako sinaktan.
Hindi niya ako pinahirapan.
I don't know why, but I can feel kindness from him.
Matapos akong bumaba ay nilingon na ni Yaoran ang palasyo na nasa harapan namin.
"Your majesty! Your loyal subject, Yaoran, is back! I'm here to report an important matter!" he announced.
At matapos siyang magsalita ay narinig kong nagsalita ang isang lalaking boses mula sa loob ng palasyo.
"Present yourself!" the voice answered.
Nakita ko ang pagbukas ng malaking pintuan ng palasyo.
Matapos iyon ay nilingon ako ni Yaoran at inilahad niya ang kamay na ang ibig sabihin ay mauna ako. Kaya nauna akong pumasok sa loob.
This is the Emperor's court room.
Nagtaas ako ng mukha at nakita ko ang Emperor na nakaupo sa kanyang trono. He's a middle-aged man. Sa tingin ko ay si Zhang Wei lang naman ang pinakabatang Emperor sa continent na ito.
At nang makita niya kami ay mabilis siyang bumaba mula sa trono at mukhang excited na nilapitan si Yaoran. Ni hindi niya pinansin ang presensya ko.
"So?" masayang wika niya. "May dala ka bang magandang balita?"
Yumuko naman si Yaoran mula sa kinatatayuan. At halata sa mukha niya na nagdadalawang-isip pa siya kung magsasalita ba siya o hindi.
But I guess he finally chose to speak.
"I'm afraid to report to you, your majesty, that I've lost all of my men while trying to assassinate the Emperor Zhang Wei—-"
"Assassinate?!" biglang naisigaw ng Emperor.
I can even feel the fear that suddenly enveloped his voice when he said that.
Nagtaas naman ng mukha si Yaoran at sumagot.
"The only way to stop the evil doings of that Emperor is to kill him—-"
Pero hindi na siya pinatapos pa ng Emperor.
Napatutop nalang ako ng bibig nang biglang dumapo ang kanang kamay ng Emperor sa pisngi niya.
"This is madness!" The Emperor shouted with rage. "You're a fool! How could you think of killing the most powerful man in this land?!Even one of his Generals can wipe off an entire nation with just a simple snap of his fingers?! Have you lost your mind?!"
Mabilis namang lumuhod si Yaoran.
"Forgive me, your majesty!" Yaoran cried. "The situation of our people clouded my mind, and I made a hasty decision without asking for your advice! I will receive any punishment from you, your majesty! "
Napapikit naman ang Emperor at naiiyak na napatingin ulit sa kanya.
"I don't even have an ounce of energy left in me to give a punishment!" He cried, then turned to Yaoran again. "Our people are starving and all of our food resources are being slowly depleted! If we can't find a solution to this problem, we might as well die of starvation!"
At doon na nga ako nag-decided na maki-chismis.
"Ah, so anong meron?" ang pakikiusyoso ko. "Pwede niyo bang i-share sa akin kung ano ang nangyayari dito?"
Nilingon naman ako ng Emperor at mukhang ngayon niya lang napansin ang presensya ko. Kaya nilingon niya si Yaoran bago nagtanong.
"And who is this lady?" The Emperor asked.
Yaoran hesitated to speak at first, but then he finally decided to concede.
"May I present to you, Princess Chin. She is..." he paused and gulped first before continuing. "...she's an Honorable Consort of the Emperor Zhang Wei."
At matapos niyang sabihin iyon ay hindi makapaniwalang napatingin sa kanya ang Emperor.
"She's what?" The Emperor asked, then cleaned his right ear with his pinky finger. "I thought I just misheard you say something."
Nakita ko naman ang paglunok muna ng laway ni Yaoran bago siya pinagpapawisan ng malamig na nagsalita ulit.
"S-She's the H-Honorable Consort of the Emperor of Qin." He even stuttered.
All hell broke loose.
Nakita ko nalang ang mabilis na pagkuha ng Emperor sa isang malaking silya doon. Pinigilan pa siya ng Eunuch niya dahil balak niyang itapon ito kay Yaoran.
"Please calm down, your majesty!" his eunuch cried.
"Have you completely lost your mind?!" the thunderous voice of the angry Emperor echoed throughout the whole court. "You took one of his consorts into our land! Do you know what this means?! Do you really know what this means?! We will be crushed into ashes! The Han empire will be wiped off from the map by the Emperor Zhang Wei! How could you be such a fool in creating this madness?!"
Sobrang pula na ng mukha niya habang galit na galit parin siyang nakahawak sa silya na balak niyang itapon kay Yaoran. Samantalang nanatiling nakagapos naman sa kanya ang kawawang Eunuch.
"I deserve death, your majesty!" Yaoran bow down to his feet.
Pero unti-unti ay naibaba din ng Emperor ang silya na hawak niya at parang nawalan ng lakas na napaupo nalang sa sahig ng court room.
"What's the use of killing you now?" The Emperor lifelessly answered. "We will all be killed by Zhang Wei anyway."
"Ah, pwede bang makisawsaw?" wika ko habang nakataas ng kamay.
Si Yaoran ang mabilis na lumingon sa akin.
"What is it, your highness?" he asked.
Nilingon ko naman siya at kamot-ulong nagsalita.
"Ano bang dahilan at kinidnap mo ako dito ha?" takang tanong ko. "Kasi diba dapat sa dungeon mo ako itinapon at hindi dito sa harapan ng Emperor? Atsaka diba dapat tino-torture mo ako ngayon para makapagsabi ako ng mga sikreto ng Qin? So yeah, hindi ko gets. First time kong ma-kidnap eh kaya wala akong idea. Ganito ba talaga ang pag-kidnap sa panahon ng mga dynasties? Salamat sa pagsagot. Newbie here po."
Ngayon ay pareho na kaming nakatingin sa kanya ng Emperor. Mukhang interesado din malaman ng Emperor ang dahilan kung bakit niya ipinagkanlulo ang kaligtasan ng Han mula sa kamay ni Zhang Wei para lang dalhin ako dito.
Yumuko muna siya bago nagsalita.
"The Han empire was once a prosperous place on the continent before Zhang Wei ascended to the throne." He started. "His father and the late Emperor of Qin sent protection to us allies. But after Zhang Wei ascended to the throne, the protection was dismissed, and instead, he sent a new group of soldiers who started to wreck havoc on our land. They depleted our resources, and that left us and our people in starvation."
Matapos niyang sabihin iyon ay natahimik muna siya kaya ang Emperor ang nagsalita.
"Our soldiers are weak against the powerful soldiers of Zhang Wei," the Emperor added. "We can't even protect ourselves against them."
"A lot of envoys were sent to Qin to ask for help from the Emperor. But it seems like the Emperor Zhang Wei is deaf to our cries. All of them were only sent back with no action being taken. Our Emperor became desperate, so he sent a lot of spies to gather information about the resources of Zhang Wei, and I was their leader. We only need to learn about how he runs things so Han can go back to prosperity. But after a lot of tiring times, I've finally come to a conclusion..." Yaoran said, while trying to control his tears. "...that the only way to stop the suffering of Han is to kill Zhang Wei so a new Emperor will be placed to the throne and maybe by only then, our cry for help will be heard."
I felt a lump in my throat after hearing their side of the story. Hindi ko akalain na ganito na pala kalala ang nangyayari sa Han. Alam ko na ang mga sundalo ni Zhang Wei ang may pasimuno sa lahat ng ito pero ang hindi ko maintindihan ay kung bakit walang ginagawa dito ang walang hiyang Emperor na iyon.
How could he turn a blind eye to the people of Han?
Nagtaas ng mukha si Yaoran at nakita ko nalang ang isa-isang pagpatak ng mga luha sa mga mata niya.
"Forgive me, your highness, for the pain and the wound that I've inflicted on you." He cried while bowing at my feet. "It is never my intention to hurt you. My only wish is to help our people survive the cold and hunger. I never wish to hurt anyone else except for the Emperor of Qin. "
Pero hindi ko parin maintindihan.
Tinignan ko siya bago ako nagsalita.
"So, bakit mo ako dinala dito?" takang tanong ko parin.
Oo nga, ano ang kinalaman ng isang consort na katulad ko sa gulo nila ni Zhang Wei?
Nagtaas siya ulit ng mukha at umiiyak na nagsalita.
"I was observing you while you were talking with the Emperor from the dungeon of Qin..." he spoke.
I was confused even more.
"Ha? Tapos?" kamot-ulong tanong ko pa.
"For many months that I was observing the Emperor Zhang Wei, that was the first time I saw him actually listen to someone else." When he said that, my eyes slowly widened in confusion. "The Emperor of Qin is a hard-headed and cold-hearted man who doesn't listen to anybody else but only himself when it comes to deciding on everything. He may look like he hasn't listened to you, but right after you spoke with him in the dungeon... "
Hindi ako naging handa sa sumunod na sinabi niya.
"He called for a physician and started tending to my wounds. He even gave me food to eat."
Naramdaman ko nalang ang unti-unting panlalaki ng mga mata ko at hindi makapaniwalang napatitig sa kanya. Napatingin din sa akin ang kanina pang nakikinig na Emperor ng Han.
Teka, joke ba ito?
At bakit naman gagawin ni Zhang Wei ang bagay na iyon?
"I was also surprised at first, but then I realized that..." he said, then looked up at me. "You're the only person who can change his mind."
"Ha? At bakit ako?"
"I decided to take you here with me, for I thought that this is our last chance to be heard by the Emperor." He cried and then bow down to me again. "Please! I beg of you, your highness! Please help us save our land! Our children are dying, and our land is becoming weak because of Zhang Wei's forces!"
At nagulat nalang ako nang biglang lumuhod din sa akin ang Emperor ng Han at umiiyak na nagsalita.
"I beg of you, young miss!" he cried. "If Yaoran is right, you're the only person who can change the Emperor's mind! We beg of you to help us, or in this state, our land will die along with all the people of it!"
Samantalang napaatras naman ako at naguguluhan parin na nagsalita.
"Teka, teka lang," wika ko saka ako napahawak ng noo ko. "Hindi kami close ni Zhang Wei. Hindi nga kami magkabati ngayon eh! At bakit naman siya makikinig sa isang katulad ko? I'm just a consort! Hindi ako ang adviser niya!"
"Please! I beg of you! " Yaoran cried into my feet. "I can see that Zhang Wei fancies you! He will listen to you!"
Hindi ako makapaniwalang napatingin nalang sa kanilang dalawa.
Zhang Wei fancies me? Hah, what a joke. Mas matatanggap ko pa kapag sinabi niyang iaalay nila ako kay Zhang Wei para maging kapalit ng pakikinig niya sa mga hinaing nila. That Emperor is incapable of fancy. Abnormal iyon eh. Hindi marunong magmahal ng kapwa.
At ang isa pa, paano ako napunta sa eksena na ito kung saan kailangan kong sagipin ang isang kaharian mula sa mga kamay ni Zhang Wei?
Teka, na-skip ko ba ito sa manhwa? Bakit wala akong maalala na napunta sa lugar na ito si Chin?
Naiba na naman ba ang takbo ng kwento? Kasalanan ko na naman ba ito?
Argh, sumasakit ang ulo ko.
Pero bago pa man ako makapag-isip ay nagulat nalang ako nang biglang bumukas ang malalaking pintuan ng palasyo.
At mula doon, isang hukbo ng mga nakaitim na sundalo ang pumasok sa pangunguna ng isang lalaki.
Nakita ko na nakasuot sila ng itim na armor ng Qin. So it is only right to assume that they are Zhang Wei's soldiers. Pero mukhang hindi ako matutuwa sa ipinunta nila dito.
"Well, well," the leader of the group spoke with an evil smile painted on his lips. "What do we have here? I'm here to collect your monthly taxes again, Emperor of Han. "
To be continued...