A courier rode through the outer gates under escort, his horse lathered and breathing hard. Dust covered his robes. The docunt case tied to his back was sealed with multiple marks, each one stamped in red wax.
He did not stop until he reached the inner compound.
By the ti the sun rose over the capital, the report had already been placed in the hands of the court.
Inside the palace, the Emperor sat in stillness.
His robes were arranged with exact care. The silk lay flat across his shoulders. The embroidered dragon across his chest caught the morning light from the high windows. His hands rested on his knees, unmoving.
An attendant stepped forward and bowed low.
"The report from Tianjin has arrived, Your Majesty."
The Emperor did not respond at once.
"Read it."
The attendant turned and passed the docunt to a court official standing below the steps of the throne.
The man broke the seal carefully.
He read in silence for a mont.
Then his expression changed.
His grip tightened slightly on the paper before he began to speak aloud.
"The foreign fleet has forced passage north," he said.
A low murmur spread through the court.
"The port defenses at Tianjin engaged them. The enemy responded with... heavy bombardnt."
He paused briefly.
Several officials shifted where they stood.
The reader continued.
"The batteries were destroyed. The docks were set ablaze. Governnt vessels at anchor were lost."
The murmuring grew louder.
The Emperor remained still.
The official swallowed once and continued.
"A foreign envoy has landed under ard escort. He demands an audience with the Son of Heaven."
Silence fell across the hall.
Then the reaction ca.
"They attacked a northern port?"
One minister stepped forward, his voice sharp.
"They fired upon imperial defenses?"
Another followed.
"This is an act of war!"
The hall filled with voices.
"They must be driven back at once!"
"How dare they make such demands after firing upon our city?"
"The barbarians have overstepped all limits!"
The reader lowered the docunt slightly, waiting.
The Emperor raised one hand.
The sound stopped.
Not gradually.
At once.
The hall fell quiet again.
He looked down toward the officials.
"Continue."
The reader nodded and resud.
"The envoy states that refusal will result in further bombardnt. He claims the fleet will proceed regardless of resistance."
The words settled heavily in the room.
This ti, the silence held longer.
Then a senior official stepped forward.
"We cannot allow this," he said. "If we yield now, every foreign nation will believe they can threaten the Empire in the sa manner."
Another official joined him.
"They have already fired on our soil. If we do not respond with force, we invite further insult."
A third spoke, his tone more controlled.
"The fleet is not a small one. The report ntions weapons unlike those seen before."
"That does not matter," the first official replied sharply. "They are still n. They can be fought."
"Fought with what?" another voice cut in.
Heads turned.
A military advisor stepped forward from the side of the hall.
"With what ships?" he continued. "With what guns? The report states entire batteries were destroyed in a single exchange."
"That is because the defenders were unprepared."
"They were not unprepared. They were outmatched."
One of the ministers turned toward the throne.
"Your Majesty, we must mobilize forces imdiately. Reinforcents to Tianjin. Artillery. Troops. The barbarians must be stopped before they advance further inland."
Another official spoke before the Emperor could respond.
"And if they bombard Tianjin again? Or worse—if they sail farther up the river?"
"They will not dare approach the capital."
"They already dared to attack a northern port."
The Emperor watched them discuss with one another.
Another official stepped forward, older than the others, his voice lower.
"We should consider another approach."
Several heads turned toward him.
He continued.
"They ca first to Canton. They requested passage. They were refused."
A few of the ministers frowned.
"They were refused because that is our law."
"Yes," the older official said. "And now they are here."
He gestured slightly.
"They have demonstrated their strength. They have shown they are willing to use it."
"So we reward that behavior?" one minister snapped.
"No. We recognize it."
The room shifted again.
The older official did not raise his voice.
"If we et them with force and fail, they will continue north with no restraint. If we speak with them, we may control what happens next."
"They have already made demands!"
"And they will continue to do so whether we speak to them or not."
Another official stepped forward, anger visible on his face.
"They attacked Tianjin!"
"Yes."
"And you suggest we sit and talk with them?"
"I suggest we prevent further destruction."
Silence returned, but it was tighter now.
More focused.
The Emperor finally spoke.
"What do they want?"
The question cut through the room.
The reader lowered his head slightly.
"They demand an audience, Your Majesty."
"To what end?"
The official hesitated.
"The report does not specify. Only that they insist on eting you directly."
Another voice spoke from the side.
"That alone is unacceptable."
"Why?"
The man hesitated.
"It violates protocol."
The Emperor’s gaze shifted slightly.
"And if we refuse again?"
No one answered imdiately.
The answer was already in the report.
The older official spoke again.
"They will act as they did in Tianjin."
A long pause followed.
The Emperor looked down at the assembled court.
"You speak of war," he said, looking to the right.
"You speak of diplomacy," he said,looking to the left.
"You speak of law," he said, looking to the front.
"Yet they are already here."
"Your Majesty, if we allow this, it will set a precedent."
The Emperor looked at him.
"If we do not allow it, what follows?"
The minister did not answer.
The military advisor spoke instead.
"They will continue advancing."
"And can we stop them?"
The advisor hesitated.
Then he lowered his head.
"Not imdiately. But with preparations—"
"Then I think the best course of action, while keeping our dignity, is to allow them to et the Emperor. They ca here for diplomacy, so let’s entertain the barbarians with one. At least this option doesn’t cause our cities to be destroyed."
With that, it has been decided.
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