第十二回 又闻奇士思（2）

    To his majesty, my brother,
    When you read this letter, in all probability I will have already returned to dust. I have long expected to submit to death since it is everyone’s destiny. Yet as I approach the final doorway to heaven or to hell, I must first record the torturous affairs that have brought about my ruin and to whose true nature my lord has been deceived.
    Twenty years ago, when you determined to send me to this chaotic country, I could not help but hold a grudge against you. At that time, you had been married for six years without an heir while I, your only brother, was greatly appreciated by our father and ministers at court. Thus, I knew that, although seemingly a special favor, dispatching me as a lord to one of your vassal states was merely a means to consolidate your power. You forced me to come here against my own will and govern this boorish and unruly people who never understood the importance of respecting their monarch. My sources informed me that you intended to use borrowed hands to kill me, but I could find no other path than to obey your orders. You even sent the duke of Istakar and your ever-trusted ministers to go with me, asserting they were there to assist me. Yet who did not know they were there to control me and monitor my every step
    You may not know that when I took the last look at my homeland, I swore to myself that I would rid myself of your restraint, subjugate the people of my new land, and turn this domain into the most prosperous vassal state that had ever been no matter the cost. I wanted to make our motherland aware that you only became king by right of the firstborn and humiliate you by the scale of my achievements. As for the attendants you sent me with, I would take them as my own and make them willing to serve me, not you. Although I had lost the opportunity to outmatch you face to face, I vowed to surpass you from afar.
    If time paused at the tenth year, I would have nothing to regret. I made full use of my ministers’ conflicts and managed them with alternating kindness and cruelty. They maintained suspicions of one another and wanted to maximise their own benefits with the help of my power. I united us in the effort to stamp out corruption, and they provided me support when I fell afoul of the local grandees. I developed our economy and education system to the highest degree, and our tribute ranked first among the vassal states. As you sat high in the capital, you must have heard my good name as I brought this country to a pinnacle of culture, stability, tranquility, and prosperity.
    However just as my achievements peaked, I began to falter. Perhaps because I realised that I had little chance to return to my mother country or perhaps because my reign seemed to be going well, I increasingly delegated my responsibilities to the duke of Istakar. He soon betrayed my trust, resulting in the removal and death of my remaining ministers. While I sought nothing but sensual pleasures, he tightened his grip on power and step by step made me his puppet. Soon I lost everything, as fate dictated. The whole country, from the court to the provinces, submitted to him instead of to me. Every retainer that I once favored turned to him and endeavored to please him. Nobody stayed behind. Not one. Behold! Human beings forever follow power meekly and abandon loyalty and integrity without hesitation as long as the lure is sufficient.
    The duke kept me in captivity, and by the time I realised I was unable to resist, it was too late. How ironic it is to have escaped the dangerous trap you set, yet die in the palace he built for me instead. His ruthlessness had long provoked outrage from our people, but he used me as his shield, attributing all of his evil deeds to my orders. I know that even if I am not killed by him, I will one day be trampled to mud by the people. And our armed forces, weakened by your long-enforced disarmament, are no match against the mob. By then, the country will no longer belong to royalty, either to me or to you, and what will happen then
    I am not sure when, or even if, you will receive this letter. I have heard a commisioner from the capital would soon arrive at court, and I will have the letter passed on at any cost. What you must know is that I do not resent you anymore. After this last blood-soaked decade, I hope you can avenge me and maintain the eternal reign of our great country and vassal states.
    Finally, I present you with a gift. The duke of Istakar has lowered his guard against me, enabling me to overhear a secret during one of his private conversations. He has been worried that you may recall him, or that there may be riots, so he is transferring the wealth he has built to an unknown island. The extent of his treasures is far beyond your imagination, even more than the riches that fill your palace, but he ships them in just a s.mall amount each trip in order to avoid being too conspicuous. The duke boasted with pride that this island is a heavenly place and from his description, I suppose it lies to the east of this country. It seems to be a long landmass stretching along a north-south axis with a vast lowland in the north and lush mountains in the south. He said he could set up a rich kingdom for his offspring just by trading the local minerals without even touching the treasure he took there. My lord, once you get to this island you will be able to effortlessly take the treasure as your own and use it to establish an invincible army. If you have the slightest mercy for me, come here and destroy the duke of Istakar, for you must realise that only with armed force can you govern the world. Nothing else can.
    Long live our illustrious royal family.
    Yours faithfully,
    E□□ond
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