Tyranny of Steel

On the other side of the globe, far away, lies a mighty Empire. Within its borders was the ancient city of Nanjing. While Berengar was waging war against the Catholic Kingdoms of Iberia, the Ming Dynasty saw an unprecedented time of peace and prosperity.

However, despite this, its Emperor had recently passed away, leaving his son and heir, a ten-year-old boy named Zhu Li, as the de-facto ruler of China. This boy was currently tapping his finger repeatedly on the armrest of his chair with a disgruntled expression on his face.

His mother, who was the Empress Dowager, was, in reality, the true power behind the throne, Zhu Li was merely a puppet for her, and he knew it. Because of this, the woman was standing away from her son, scolding one of the Admirals beneath his command. Zhu Li secretly eavesdropped on their conversation in silence.

"You have brought this rusted, old piece of Junk from your travels and demand to show it to the Emperor? I will not allow you to put fanciful ideas of a mysterious, and powerful barbarian Kingdom to the West in the Emperor's head!"

The Admiral immediately began to protest against the Empress Dowager and spoke in contrast to her harsh words.

"This is a vital piece of military technology, far more advanced than our hand cannons. Supposedly the Kingdom it was captured from has employed these weapons in the thousands! If we do not learn to replicate this firearm, then I foresee that our Army will eventually fall behind those Western Kingdoms!"

The Empress Dowager scoffed at this comment before reprimanding the Admiral for his seemingly preposterous insinuation.

"You are an Admiral, not a General; it is not your job to think about the affairs of the Army! You overstep your bounds, Lin Feng!

When Zhu Li heard these words, his brows peaked with interest; as far as he was aware, the world revolved around the Ming Dynasty. The idea that some barbarians had created a powerful Kingdom intrigued his young mind. Almost as if it were something out of a fictional tale. Thus the boy Emperor called out to his mother and Admiral with an excited tone in his voice.

"Bring the item to me, and I will determine whether or not it is of any value!"

Though the Empress Dowager may be the true power behind the Throne, Zhu Li was still the public face; thus his mother was forced to respect his position. As such, the Empress Dowager scowled for but a moment before she put on a motherly facade.

The Admiral known as Lin Feng instantly walked towards the young Emperor, where he held onto a blanket; inside this blanket was a powerful weapon from the West that he had encountered on his travels with the great fleet of the Ming Dynasty.

Lin Feng knelt before his Emperor and unwrapped the silk blanket to reveal a battle-worn firearm. This firearm was none other than an Arkebuse used by the Byzantine Armies on the field of battle in North Africa. Zhu Li gazed upon this device with excitement as he inquired about its origin and function.

"What is this, and where did you find it?"

With a stoic expression on his face, Lin Feng began to spin a grand tale about how he came across such a mighty weapon from the West.

"You see, your Majesty, As you know, I have been leading your great treasure fleet across the oceans in an attempt to spread the glory of our Empire. While far away in a land known as the Timurid Empire, I came across a nobleman who was more than happy to pay tribute to you. He gave me this firearm, which he claims was employed in a great battle in the land known as Egypt.

It had been acquired by a lowly scavenger whose name remains unknown. However, this man sold the weapon, and it eventually made its way to the Timurid Nobleman! Supposedly it was employed by a great Kingdom known as Byzantium!

However, the nobleman who gave me this weapon assured me that it was not constructed in Byzantium but even further west in the lands known as Europe. Where precisely this weapon was manufactured, the Timurid Nobleman is unsure of. Still, wherever it was built, it is said that it is a Kingdom where rivers of molten steel flow through its capital city, and technology is advanced to the level that rivals the gods!"

The Empress Dowager immediately scoffed at this notion; this entire story was simply ludicrous. She could hardly believe the Admiral had bought into such ridiculous rumors. As for Zhu Li, his eyes were sparkling with delight as he asked for further information on the weapon.

"So, how does this weapon work?"

Lin Feng began to describe the weapon's function with a smile on his face.

"First one fills the bore of this firearm with powder, followed by a lead ball. Then after they have packed it down with the ramrod they light a match, which is attached to this hook. After doing so, they fill powder in this pan and then pull this lever here, which sends the match onto the pan, igniting the gunpowder and propelling the lead ball downrange. Supposedly it renders any form of armor utterly useless at close range."

The young Emperor had an excited expression on his face as he envisioned this weapon in use. As such, he quickly made a decree that was much to his mother's ire.

"We must replicate this weapon and see if it truly lives up to the tales! Send word to the Army; I want them to study and reproduce this weapon as quickly as possible!"

The Admiral smiled upon hearing the Emperor take his side; after doing so, he gave a smug glance over to the Empress Dowager, where he continued boasting of his victory in silence. The boy's mother struggled to contain her nerves as she witnessed this; however, ultimately, she managed to calm her wrath before commenting on the matter to her son.

"If that is what the Emperor wishes, then I will make sure it is done!"

However, Zhu Li gazed upon his mother with contempt as he countered her words.

"No, mother, you are much too busy aiding me in managing the realm, I will leave this matter to the military!"

For but a brief second the Empress Dowager gave her son a murderous glare that the boy Emperor met with one of his own. However, in the very next moment, she returned to her loving facade and nodded her head in silence.

"Very well, if that is what you want, so be it."

After saying this, Empress Dowager departed, leaving her son by his lonesome. As for Admiral Lin Feng, he was dismissed by Zhu Li shortly after. The boy sat upon the Dragon Throne, contemplating how to retain the power bestowed upon him by the heavens. If he left his mother to her own devices, she would usurp what little authority remained in his hands.

After a few moments of silence, the Emperor sighed and rose to his feet. After doing so, he departed from the throne room, where he proceeded down a hallway in the royal palace. Eventually, he came across a small room in the corner of the building. Zhu Li hesitated for a few moments before knocking on the door.  A weak and timid voice called out from the other side; there was a hint of fright in its tone as the words resounded throughout the corridor.

"Who is it?"

Zhu Li gulped the saliva that had pooled up in his mouth before hardening his resolve. After doing so, he called out to the anxious voice behind the door.

"It is Zhu Li!"

He could hear the fear in the voice wash away as the door suddenly opened and revealed a six-year-old girl who practically looked like a porcelain doll. This girl had albinism and thus had pale skin, white hair, and pink eyes. A warm smile was on her face as she latched onto the Emperor before saying the words.

"Big Brother is back!"

The boy-emperor patted his little sister on the head and entered the room, shutting the door behind him. After entering, he sat down, while the young girl prepared him some tea. After doing so, she sat down across from her brother with a happy smile on her face. It had been some time since her precious big brother had come to visit her, and thus she was filled with joy at the moment, that is until he asked the question on his mind.

"How has mother been treating you, Jia Li?"

The moment the girl named Jia Li had heard this, her expression sank, and her glance shifted away from her brother's eyes. That action alone was enough to give the boy Emperor an answer. His fists curled with rage as he understood what had transpired in his absence. The poor girl had suffered their mother's abuse and neglect for too long.  Upon seeing her brother was angry, the small girl known as Jia Li grasped ahold of his hand with her own two dainty paws and gazed upon him with a bittersweet smile.

"I'm okay..."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Li could no longer contain the tears in his eyes and immediately latched onto his little sister before making her a solemn vow.

"When I am older and have taken back the power of the Throne, I promise I will make that woman pay for what she had done to you!"

The young girl had a bitter smile on her doll-like face as she held onto her brother, comforting him. It would be well over an hour before the boy Emperor emerged from his sister's room. When he did so there was a hint of newfound purpose in his eyes. He had concluded that If he wished to end his mother's tyranny, he would need the backing of the Army; luckily for him, a new and powerful invention had just entered his hands.

Unknowingly by virtue of providing weapons to his allies, Berengar's influence had begun to spread to the far east. It would be some time before Berengar's future Empire encountered the Ming Dynasty. When it finally did, there would be monumental changes to the timeline that was partially a result of his interference in this world.

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