Regency

...Dayu Empire - The Palace...

...The Next Morning......

...LONGWEI: Search the whole of Dayu, put it on a lockdown, no one comes in and no one goes out.....

...SOLDIERS: Yea! (Heads down as they leave)...

...MO XUANYE: (Walks to Longwei who bows) What is going on......

...LONGWEI: I killed a Hollow last night... Traditionally, a K****ōngké...

...MO XUANYE: A Kōngké? (Curious a little) How did it get into Dayu?...

...LONGWEI: The same question I ask myself......

...MO XUANYE: Do there happen to be.. an intruder in Dayu?...

...LONGWEI: I pray not and that is why I've ordered a se......

...MO XUANYE: (Cuts in looking away) The King is not in Dayu... (Turns to Longwei) Right?...

...LONGWEI: (Stares speechless)...

...MO XUANYE: And that's why we weren't able to commence the Royal Council Meeting the other day... Where has the shepherd gone when his flocks are in danger?...

...LONGWEI: His Majesty......

...MO XUANYE: Abandoned his empire......

...LONGWEI: Is this because of the Twin Imperial Seal?...

...MO XUANYE: Don't you see it yourself? The Heavens have not approved the era of Li Chengjue!...

...LONGWEI: Accord some respect to His Majesty!...

...MO XUANYE: There is no respect without legitimacy! (Walks slowly around Longwei) We have no mandate from the Heavens and that explains why bad luck lurks around Dayu! Last night, a kongke was killed by you. Had you not seen it, lives would've been lost and that is a clear sign the era is cursed!... That is a clear sign this empire has no emperor! That is a clear sign!... (Stops walking as he faces Longwei) Li Chengjue is not a true heir of his father......

...LONGWEI: (Attempts to unsheathe his sword but stopped at half) You are talking blasphemy!...

...MO XUANYE: Do you dare unsheathe your sword against me!...

...LONGWEI: (Bows) I'm sorry......

...MO XUANYE: Li Chengjue has left his people, abandoned his home and brought shame to the Royal legacy of Dayu and the Li Bloodline. We are no longer safe, we need a mandate and a gold sky. Without any of these, Dayu becomes void... Now let me lead the Royal Council Meeting......

...LONGWEI: (Head still down) His Majes......

...MO XUANYE: (Cuts in) It is... A royal order....

...LONGWEI: (Bows as he gets out of the way for Mo Xuanye to get into the palace)...

...MO XUANYE: Summon the rest of the council and the Court Officials (Walks inside majestically)...

...Cangwu - Li Chengjue's Hut...

...SHEN MO: (Bows) Your Majesty......

...LI CHENGJUE: (Looks up at Shen Mo from what he was doing)...

...SHEN MO: Rumours have it a kongke was killed last night in Dayu......

...LI CHENGJUE: (Astonished but keeps calm) A kongke... In my Empire?...

...SHEN MO: Yea, Your Majesty......

...LI CHENGJUE: How! Are my protective barriers no longer holding?! There must be an intruder...

...SHEN MO: I heard Captain Longwei ordered a search... The culprit will be found, I'm sure of that (bows)...

...LI CHENGJUE: "When separated, the empire bleeds"...

...SHEN MO: (Confused) Pardon?...

...LI CHENGJUE: I must find the White Phoenix Jade......

...SHEN MO: Your Majesty......

...LI CHENGJUE: "Without the other half, both Jades go wrong" (stares in an open space)...

...SHEN MO: Your Majesty......

...LI CHENGJUE: "Burns and freezes at night"...

...Two Days Ago, Nightfall in Cangwu Market Square...

...LI CHENGJUE: Even if I don't grip unto it... It still burns... Argh! (Grunts in pain) What is this (Turns back to Ruoyun who was already half out the walkway) Why does it suddenly burns......

...Present......

...LI CHENGJUE: I burnt... Even when I put it away......

...SHEN MO: Your Majesty, are you ok?...

...LI CHENGJUE: Get me that debtor! (Looks at Shen Mo)...

...Dayu Empire...

...The Palace - Golden Audience Hall...

...Noon... The Emperor's throne is empty. A silk cloth covers it. The court of 200 officials kneels as the 5 Council Members stand at the front......

...GRAND CHANCELLOR SHEN WENYUAN: Where is His Majesty? The memorials pile up. The south is flooding. We cannot wait.."...

...GU YUAN (LEFT STATE MINISTER): The Imperial Physicians say the Emperor is ill. He will not see anyone for 7 days. Possibly longer....

...Murmurs ripple through the Court...

...XIAO ZHAN (GRAND MARSHALL): 7 days?! The Army has no pay. The granaries are low. If word spreads the throne is empty, the provinces will rebel by week's end...

...JIN FUYAO (MINISTER OF REVENUE): And the treasury... We cannot even pay the palace guards...(Panicky)...

...Silence in the Hall as only Mo Xuanye's footsteps were heard who walked to the center in his black robe with no expression......

...MO XUANYE (COMMANDER OF EASTERN DEPOT): (Bows towards the empty throne) The Emperor is unwell. The Heavens have not answered us in 30 years. And now... The throne is silent. (Turns to face the court, then the council) We cannot wait for the gods. We cannot wait for a sick child... Therefore, by duty to Dayu, the council will take charge... (Pauses) All edicts, all armies, all grain will answer to us until His Majesty recovers....

...The court explodes...

...COURT OFFICIAL 1: You cannot!...

...COURT OFFICIAL 2: Treason!...

...XIAO ZHAN: (Hand on sword) By what authority?!...

...MO XUANYE: (Calm) By the authority of necessity. By the authority of Six Ministries who already report to this table.. (Voice rises a little) By the authority of the Eastern Depot! Which keeps order in the capital tonight. (Looks straight at Shen Wenyuan and Gu Yuan) Unless Grand Chancellor and Left Minister would prefer... Chaos?...

...Tension rises as Shen Wenyuan's jaw clenches and Gu Yuan closes his eyes......

...GU YUAN: (Quiet for a while) Record it... (Sighs) The Council governs in the Emperor's name....

...Mo Xuanye bows... As everyone bows to him......

...MO XUANYE: (Softly) For Dayu... (Smirks a little)...

...The Gathering was dismissed...

...Doors close... only Shen and Gu left......

...SHEN WENYUAN: (Pacing) He called the Emperor a sick child in open Court. We should have had him arrested....

...GU YUAN: (Pouring tea with shaking hands) With whose soldiers, Grand Chancellor? His Depot already holds the palace gates. (Drinks) He didn't take the throne today but he took something worse... He took legitimacy....

...SHEN WENYUAN: Then what do we do?...

...GU YUAN: (Looks at the covered throne) We find out why the Emperor is really ill. And we pray... He wakes up before Mo Xuanye finds the Jades....

...Eastern Depot - Midnight...

...A Private room, no windows, a standing lamp with a heavy storm outside.....

...Jin Fuyao kneels... Hands shaking as Mo Xuanye pours tea...

...MO XUANYE: Minister Jin... (Pours another cup) You looked tired today....

...JIN FUYAO: (Voice cracks) Commander, the treasury truly is empty. I swear it....

...MO XUANYE: (Slides a ledger across the table) I know. Because 1.7 million taels went to your brother's silk trade. To your cousin's mines and to your third concubine's new estate....

...Jin Fuyao goes pale...

...MO XUANYE: The Grand Chancellor would have your head for this. The Left Minister would exile your whole clan (pushes the tea to him)...

...JIN FUYAO: What do you want?...

...MO XUANYE: 3 things... 1. Starve Marshal Xiao's army budget for 2 more months. Tell him bandits stole it... 2.. Move 500,000 taels to me. Quietly. And 3.. When I say the Jades must return in Council... You agree. Loudly....

...Long silence dawned in the room as the rain poured......

...JIN FUYAO: (Picks up the tea with trembling hands) .... And if I refuse?...

...MO XUANYE: (Smiles) Then tomorrow morning, the Court learns why the treasury is empty. And the Kōngké weren't the only monsters created 600 years ago...

...Jin Fuyao drinks...

...Lights Fades...

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