Year 1700,

 

Under the dark sky, in a park, Kangxi was standing with his eyes looking at the half of the moon.

If in a normal house, the family’s members would stay together, but for the emperor of the great empire had no one besides Little Jin, the eunuch, accompany in such a freezing night.

“Your majesty, it is cold, please be careful of your health,” Little Jin said and put the fur coat on the emperor.

Still eyes raised up at the sky, Kangxi did not say a word. 

The warm coat covered his body, but he felt cold inside his heart.

The half of the moon showed in the sky. Sometimes, the clouds flew across and the light disappeared for a moment.

Suddenly, Kangxi said, “Did you see a dragon?”

“Yes, Sire?” Little Jin said.

“It just flew past the moon at the last moment,” Kangxi said.

Little Jin looked up at the sky, but nothing he found. “I don't see any dragon, but only you Sire. You are the dragon,” he said.

Kangxi smiled, then he turned to his sweet eunuch and said, “You may think my eyes were dazzled. You don't believe me.”

“Not like that Sire,” Little Jin said.

“Never mind. Let's go back,” Kangxi said.

“Yes Sire.”

On the way, Kangxi asked the eunuch, “Is everything prepared?”

“Yes Majesty, everything is organized already,” Little Jin said.

“Who will join?”

“Princes and generals.”

“Good.”

In the sky, a body of an animal like a snake, red like the ruby, moved in quick motion past the moon.

*****

 

Under the golden light of the sun, Kangxi and his fellows rode their horses inside the imperial hunting forest. It was a pleasure activity for monarchs and high ranking people. They hunted and made their prey to be food and enjoyed together with the wine.

After the meal, the emperor strolled out of the camp with Little Jin and a few guards. No prince or general, also they were not informed.

In the jungle of green, Kangxi wandered far and far, and the eunuch and the guards followed the leader of state with attention and caution.

When they reached a shady place, the emperor immediately stopped his feet.

“Do you hear?” he asked Little Jin, but the eunuch shook his head, “No Sire. I don’t hear anything.”

“Strange sound.” Kangxi made his eyebrows close together. His ears really touched with a sound he had never heard before.

He looked around, then he halted his eyes on his right side for a short while, later on he walked towards it.

Little Jin was scared of his safety. He followed him and the guards wanted to come also, but Kangxi sensed it so he called, “No guard. Only you.”

“Yes Sire.”

Through the shade of big and small trees, the high man walked without a burden but his eunuch who was after him felt a chill because in this wild was very quiet, even the sound of wind did not appear.

After walking for a while, the emperor and the servant arrived at a grass field. Before them there was a lotus pond, next to it there was a very big tree and under it there was a huge stone that was having a flat surface, on that surface, a girl was sleeping.