THE VANISHED EMPIRE by Andrej Koymasky (C) 2006 written on February 11, 1995 translated by the author English text kindly revised by John
USUAL DISCLAIMER
"THE VANISHED EMPIRE" is a gay story, with some parts containing graphic scenes of sex between males. So, if in your land, religion, family, opinion and so on this is not good for you, it will be better not to read this story. But if you really want, or because YOU don't care, or because you think you really want to read it, please be my welcomed guest.
SEVENTH - THE NEW IMPERIAL SYSTEM
7.1 - Yude Emperor. New reforms.
Emperor Waka summoned Yude and asked him if he was ready to ascend the throne - he was feeling old and tired, and would like to retire somewhere. Yude asked him if the crown council wouldn't raise objections, but Waka reassured him, "The empire needs a man like you - accept the crown, I pray you."
In the end Yude accepted.
The council was united and this time, as there were no more pretenders to oppose him, and because of Waka's persuasion, th decision of the old emperor was accepted. Waka abdicated and retired to the Sword castle. Yude was crowned emperor by the ancient imperial aristocracy, gathered for that occasion. Feasts were held for an entire month. The new emperor received the allegiance of the court nobles, of the military nobles, of the various parts of the population, as well as of the colonized barbarians and of the allied pirates.
Yude had greater changes in mind. First he named Ario Great General and Kimi regent. Then, reviving an old forgotten law, he abolished all the nobility titles, leaving to all the aristocrats, as a sweetener, only the title of "nobleman", but with the clause that the title was not hereditary. If their sons aspired to the title of nobleman they had to deserve it, climbing to the top ranks of the empire.
Then, leaving them the roles they had, he moved all the nobles who held office in the state, that is the regional governors and the provincial prefects. All the governors who were not of noble origin received the title of nobleman, as well as all the generals and the head magistrates of the regional divisions.
But he made the biggest change in 1505, when he felt secure on the throne. He decided that the old crown council had to be replaced by two bodies - the privy council, formed by the great general, the regent, the chief of the administration and the high magistrate; and a plenary council, composed of all the regional regents, regional army commanders and head magistrates of each region. The plenary council had to propose draft statutes to the emperor which, with his signature, became law.
And last he established the Great Law, which could be changed only by the plenary council with a 75% agreement and not by the emporer. In this law, besides some basic principles such as no office could be hereditary, the prohibition of any private army, it was established that the emperor would name eleven great electors. These, at the death of the emperor would choose the new emperor from amongst themselves with a secret vote. The new emperor would be elected with a majority of seven votes of the eleven electors. If nobody reached the required number of votes or in the event of a ballot between the two receiving the most votes, the two contenders could not participate and the required majority was then five out of nine.
The pirates island was the only one that didn't accept these changes, so Yude sent all of the imperial fleet which crushed the pirate fleet. Then landing on Rone, it was reduced to obedience. The pirates chief tried to escape to the north, where there was one of the pirates bases, but his ship was intercepted and the fugitives bought back as prisoners. Thus Rone became an ordinary region of the empire like all the others.
Then, in 1506, Yude ordered an expedition against the territory between the two colonies - this land was ruled by a barbarian kingdom that had unified all the tribes of the long and ramified valley of that territory. The valley was rich in metals, especially gold. The barbarian king, although he unified all that territory, hadn't organized an unified army. Therefore the imperial army first seized a lateral valley then, attacking both from the sea and from three mountain passes, after a set of furious battles seized the entire territory. Once the barbarians were subdued, the territory was divided into regions, annexed to the empire and several new towns were founded, leaving to the barbarians the free choice to remain in their villages or to go to live in the new towns. Each village was granted a stretch of land proportional to the number of its inhabitants and all the rest was allotted to settlers.
All the eastern part of the barbarian north was now annexed to the empire. In the western part there was a plateau bordering the empire to the south and the new territories to the east. Then to the north, in the hands of pirates there were two wide valleys merging into a deep forked bay and then two more territories which were in the hands of the barbarians.
Yude summoned Meta and Khnis and asked them to choose twenty thousand soldiers and with them to try again their experiment which brought the peaceful annexion of their region. Khnis accepted with enthusiasm. First, they went back to their territory and from amongst their men chose the volunteers they judged most fitting to their aim. Thus they gathered about three thousand men and left with them. The volunteers then toured all the imperial army bases, and all villages and towns as recruiting agents, to gather the twenty thousand volunteers. When they were all assembled, they had to undergo strenuous drills, during which three thousand less fit men were sent back to their places. In 1506 Meta and Khnis were ready to try the new experiment.
The volunteers were divided into three groups, each having as leader two of the most skilled amongst the veterans; then as soon as the thaw had set in, they climbed up onto the plateau through the three mountain passes bordering the imperial territories. The plan was to repeat, with suitable changes, the pattern of the first infiltration that happeed fourteen years previously in the Porls territory.
Unlike that first time, they had not to go back and forth for provisions and communications - three times each year, at first spring, half summer and end of fall, the army brought them supplies and news from the other two columns.
The contacts with the barbarians, in two cases, were similar to what they hoped for, but in the third there was, on the contrary, a furious attack, though easily driven back. The barbarians of the plateau spoke a language different from that of Khnis, moreover they had local variants. Anyway, even if calling themselves by different names, they formed an assembly of communities clearly separated but with a quite homogeneous culture. The armed clashes ceased soon enough, when Khnis informed the barbarians that his men, besides the three first installations controlling the passes, would build their lodgings and settle only in the lands that the various villages would concede to them.
At mid summer the barbarians held a general meeting in the central plain, where there was a kind of temple. During that gathering they exchanged goods, held the coming-of-age ceremony, and arranged marriages, rigidly exogamous. Moreover the champions of the various villages met in elaborate, ritual duels regulated by strict rules, thanks to which it was decided which village would be considered the head of the whole community for one year. This was really just an honorific post, in fact each village, which ruled a fixed territory, enjoyed full and total autonomy.
Somethingt that made Meta and Khnis curious was that amongst the barbarian youths premarital sex betwen boys and girls was forbidden, on penalty of death, and that marriage never happened before they reached twenty years of age. This resulted in the fact that homosexual sex before the marriage was not only something normal, but also encouraged by adults. But this had as another result that also after the marriage, some of these realtionships continued, even though in a more dicreet way. There was even a proverb saying: your wife for your children, your friend for relaxation, both for pleasure. This also happened because sex during the women's menstruation and during pregnancy was also strictly forbidden.
Therefore the soldiers desiring it easily started to have sex with the youths of the villages. This was one of the reasons why contact between the two cultures was established more easily than they had thought. The soldiers quite soon learned that when a married man said to a friend, "You know, my wife is taboo these days" it was a clear invitation to have sex. But they also learned, to their expense, that the only way to say "no" without offense to the other, was to answer, "I've got a very jealous friend, insufferable". Any other answer was taken as an offence that could also lead to a duel.
What amused the soldiers was that, even though everybody knew that they were not married, no barbarian seemed surprised when hearing them say, "You know, my wife is taboo in these days". These words were in fact highly ritualized. As it happened with the Porls, several boys who didn't intend to marry because they preferred sex between men, asked to be enrolled as soldiers.
But these barbarians seemed totally refractory about becoming part of the empire. They didn't really have enemies, and the pirates, from whom they were separated by the northern mountains, didn't seem interested in their territory.
Khnis proposed to organize tours of the young barbarians in the empire. Meanwhile the acculturation work was carried on - the soldiers were learning the local language and teaching them that of the empire, also they were teaching new techniques and learning theirs.
Between 1507 and 1510, Yude sent more expeditions and finally all the barbarian north, including the double valley of the pirates, was conquered and annexed to the empire. Only the plateau, at Meta's request, was still considered a free and independent territory. Anyway, the empire territory was now more than doubled, thus giving new resources and land to the population who could settle in the wide, sparsely populated northern territories.
The plateau ended at the coast, with a wide waterfall in the shape of a crescent, that was followed by a set of five more falls, making a marvellous landscape at that point. The barbarians considered their territory to be only the part ending at the first fall, and the set of the following falls down to the sea, not being inhabited, was considered to be a no-man's-land. The last fall, ending in the sea, was easily reacheable from the former territory of the pirates.
When emperor Yude heard of the beauty and magnificence of that place, decided to visit it. He was deeply touched by the scenery and decided to have a mansion built there, to rest in from the cares of state. The building was completed in 1511 and was inaugurated with wonderful festivals.
Meanwhile Yude had named the eleven great electors of the emperor - Buga, Ario, Kimi, Meta, Khnis, and six more chosen from among the best high officials of the state - Kuole, Fit, Nami, Nerz, Bare and Nyoo. So, also the imperial commission ceased to be hereditary and the election of the most worthy man was granted as his successor. At the same time, because the new emperor was elected from amongst the men chosen by the former emperor, some continuity was ensured for the projects started by the emperor before he died or decided to abdicate.
7.2 - Nyoo's story. The Plateau.
Nyoo was the youngest of the great electors. He was a young man coming from a small village in the hinterland of Usaer, an former sailor who distinguished himself with a set of heroic deeds during the conquest of the barbarians' territories, so that he traced a shining career in the army, showing, besides heroism, strategic ability, organization skill and a sense of responsibility.
When he had been pointed out to the emperor, Yude wanted to meet him and was particularly impressed by his personality. Therefore he chose him as the last of the great electors, as he was sure that such a brilliant young man could well be one of them. What struck Yude was the expression of fear he noticed in the young man's eyes when he told him that the empire needed his services... Anyway the youth, after some insistence from Yude, ended by accepting his new role.
What Yude didn't suspect, was that Nyoo was nobody less than Funan. He had grown up sound and strong, now he was a young man bursting with health, totally different from the shy and frail fifteen year old Funan. Nyoo, in fact, lived for three years with his soldier, growing up and becoming strong. With him he left for the war, but in one of the first battles, his man was killed.
It had been true that the death of his lover on one hand had deeply grieved him, but on the other hand made him mature faster - he had nobody to support him so had to care for himself. He devoted himself to the war with all his energies, putting in it all his body, soul and intelligence. When he was twenty-three years old, he was already a division chief, had one thousand men under his orders, and distinguished himself during the war against the pirates.
While he was advancing along the valley to chase the last pirates, they made several of them prisoner. Among them he noticed a seventeen years old boy named Freyr. The boy was of an incredible beauty and Nyoo, who in recent years had passed from one light adventure to another, told himself he had to seduce the young prisoner.
He had him brought into his tent and, once they were alone, started to question him. So he came to know that he had been kidnapped by the pirates on the shores of the great northern continent when he was just five years old. He was then brought there as a slave by one of the pirates. He lived in his house, and when he was ten years old he was raped by one of the pirate's sons, a boy fifteen year old, who took advantage of him for three years, also bringing some friends to "amuse" themselves with the boy-slave.
But when he was thirteen, one of these friends, a nineteen year old youth, asked Freyr's master to sell him. So he bought Freyr, took him to his home and made him his lover. The new master was terribly jealous of him, so that he wanted him always at his side, or locked him in when they couldn't be together. However, he treated Freyr fairly and when they fled, pursued by the imperial army, he took Freyr with him. Then they were captured, and were now prisoners.
Nyoo asked him if he was in love with his master. The boy answered no; he was grateful to his master for treating him well and he hadn't any problems making love with him, but he was not in love - he was just his slave. Nyoo asked him if, having the choice, he would prefer to have sex with a woman. The boy answered that he never tried that, but then added that he was interested in trying it either.
Then Nyoo told him that he liked him very much and asked Freyr if he wanted to become his lover. The boy answered that he was just a slave, a prisoner, therefore he could do as he pleased with him. Nyoo, as the boy wasn't really a pirate but their slave, freed him, telling him that he was free to go wherever he liked. Freyr answered he didn't know where to go, what to do - he had no family, no friends, house or means...
Nyoo proposed him to enroll as a soldier and the boy accepted. Then Nyoo dismissed him, wishing him good luck.
Freyr looked at him amazed and asked, "But... didn't you say you wanted me to be yours?"
"You are now a free man, I cannot have any right over you. Go in peace."
The boy thanked him and went to join the ten-hut to which he had been assigned.
Nyoo, after that, saw him often. He looked at him with growing desire, also because Freyr, gradually, found his smile again, and so Nyoo was fascinated by him more and more, but never said that to the boy. Until a day, about four months later, when he was told that one of the soldiers requested audience. As he had some free time, he said to allow the soldier in - it was Freyr. When they were alone, the boy told him he was really happy he became a soldier, that he got many friends, he felt very good, and that he owed all that to him, therefore he wanted to thank him wholeheartedly.
Then, without any hesitation, asked him, "Are you no longer interested in making love with me?"
Nyoo smiled, "Of course I would like that, and even more than before."
Then the boy said, "I would like trying it with you... You are possibly different..."
Nyoo stood up and went to embrace him. Freyr pushed himself against his body and Nyoo felt that he was already aroused. He kissed him and the boy returned the kiss with passion. He brought him to his bed, they each undressed the other, the boy admired the athletic and virile body of the young man and, with clear passion and desire, plunged into sucking his beautiful member, so vigorously erect. Nyoo had never had such a hot and passionate companion, so thirsty for love. The strength of Freyr's desire overwhelmed him, inflamed him and when the boy, without a word, offered himself to Nyoo, he took him with genuine enthusiasm. The boy smiled radiantly, caressed Nyoo's body, moved in time with his thrusting, moaning with pleasure and whispering "Yes... yes..."
When, finally sated, they lay in an embrace, panting, gently caressing each other, the boy kissed him on the mouth and said in a murmur, "With you it has been wonderful."
"Freyr, do you want to be mine?"
"I'm already yours - let me stay with you."
"Do you want to be my lover."
"I want that."
"Good. Then dress and go and fetch your belongings - you will move here, with me."
"Thank you." The boy happily answered.
Nyoo was conquered by the bursting sensuality of his boy, and Freyr was fascinated by the sweet virility of his man, and felt totally seduced by him.
When the campaign against the pirates was won and all their territory subjugated, Nyoo was made a general and for the first time he met the emperor. He was afraid to be recognized, but it seemed that nobody connected the young general with Funan. But then, when the emperor summoned him to his presence and told him that the empire needed men like him, and proposed him to become a great elector, Nyoo was seized by a moment of panic - amongst the great electors there were some who knew him... Then he thought that in reality Yude also knew him, but didn't recognize him... therefore, even though still somewhat worried, he accepted. When he met the other great electors and seemed that nobody had recognized him, Nyoo calmed down totally.
Nobody knew his real origins; everybody really believed he was just a young soldier of Usaer territory, as he said he was brought there by his parents when he was a small child. When somebody asked from where his parent were, he recalled a couple of farmers of his village who had a son about his same age, coming from Rosti island, therefore he said he was born there and everybody believed him.
But one day, during a party at the imperial palace, he saw his mother. He felt the impulse to go and embrace her, but he knew he could not do so, therefore he tried to avoid meeting her. And when the lady, thinking she recognized her son, went near him and in a whisper asked him if he was Funan, the young man, plucking up his courage, answered that she was wrong, that his name was Nyoo... The lady was perplexed, but believed him. Nyoo felt a sharp pain - but he renounced being Funan eight years before and didn't want to get mixed up with the palace troubles again, at any cost. Nobody knew his true identity, not even his beloved Freyr. He now was Nyoo, full stop.
Being now a great elector, at the death of the emperor he could even be elected as the new emperor - he hoped it wouldn't happen and decided that, anyway, he would refuse. He liked being in the army very much, he was happy with his Freyr, he didn't want anything else.
In 1512, in the old territories of the empire there were several risings stirred up by the old aristocracy, on the pretext of the taxation system. The army put down the riots easily and without too much bloodshed. Many noblemen were put in prison. In any case, Yude wanted a revision of the revenue system, as he understood that the grounds for the discontent were a real problem. Therefore some amendments were carried out, to make the system fairer.
From the northern territories metals and gold were coming, and this increased the welfare of the population, The specialization of the regions and provinces according to the local natural resources, made both the agriculture and the crafts industry more flourishing, further increasing the population's welfare and making the various parts of the empire more strongly mutually dependent. Yude was satisfied and thought that it was time to start a new educational system.
First of all he searched in the empire the wisest and most cultivated men in the various disciplines, techniques and practices. Among them there were several former-monks. He gathered them all together and founded the "Imperial Center for Education". He asked these men to draft a program of instruction in four great sections - the basic education from six to eleven years, the normal education, from twelve to sixteen, the middle education, from seventeen to twenty, and the higher education from twenty-one to twenty-four years of age.
Meanwhile, in 1513 he started the program for building the four kinds of school - a High School in each region, including the new northern regions, a Middle School in each province, a Normal and a Basic School in each village and city borough. In the same time the future teachers were studying in the Imperial Center for Education.
In 1514 all over the empire 2327 schools of the varous kinds were opened, where about twenty thousand teachers were assigned. Both the building of new schools and the preparation of new teachers were continuing at a fast pace. In that year, Yude also founded a Central Institute for Arts and Sciences Research. The capital was becoming the cultural and artistic center of the empire - the best talents were spontaneously flowing there, also because Yude, also in 1514, gathered all the books from all the castles of the empire and put them in the new "Imperial Library", that had also annexed a center with copyists, to make copies and distribute them to the various regions requesting them.
The seats of these new institutions were modern and very beautiful buildings made regardless of expense, designed by the best architects of the empire, situated in woods, and built on the southern outskirts of the capital that was so enlarged.
All that created new works, new occupations, new wealth. Yude was satisfied - he was transforming the empire into a prosperous, rich and peaceful entity. The times of bloody battles seemed far away. Agriculture too was improving, commerce was thriving, arts were flourishing and the new revenue system allowed more and more important investments for the welfare of all the empire.
In 1515 the independent territory on the plateau asked the emperor to open schools in its territory too - Yude willingly accepted, as this would accelerate and facilitate the future joining of the plateau to the empire.
Khnis succeeded in persuading the free tribes of the plateau to form a federation with a central body with very moderate powers, but that was the sketch of a real unity. The new generations, educated in the schools that had the same programs, and granted scholarships in the empire for the best students, would naturally push society towards a growing unity and gradually organize in a way similar to that of the empire.
7.3 - Buga, emperor. The continent.
On the eighteenth day of the fifth month of 1516, emperor Yude, seventy-three years of age, passed away serenely while sleeping. Splendid funerals where held and at the center of the new part of the capital city his mausoleum was built, standing in the middle of the new buildings he made. His passing was grieved over by a multitude; people from all over the empire participated in his funeral and it was calculated that about seven million people, from the most humble citizens to the most important officers of the state, paid homage to his catafalque.
In the sixth month, the great electors gathered. At the first vote, Buga received eight votes of the eleven so he was proclaimed emperor. The sumptuous ceremony of his accession to the throne was held on the eighteenth day of the same month. Once he was elected the new emperor, the other ten great electors handed their resignations to Buga. He intended to confirm all of them, but Meta, Ario and Kimi, now of an old age, asked him not to choose them again. Therefore Buga confirmed the other seven and named four new great electors.
The succession happened without changes in the imperial politics, as Buga had participated in Yude's projects for years. Buga boosted the northern provinces, building great roads and new ports, and the great Yuder port in the bay of pirates, with an adjoining shipyard.
On 1518 Meta also passed away. He was buried in the plain of the plateau, and the emperor asked the federation of the tribes for permission to participate in the funeral rites. He was welcomed with great honor by the chiefs of the federation. His good character and his warm personality impressed the federation's chiefs very much and when the emperor invited them to visit him at the capital, they willingly accepted.
This marked the start of more and closer relations betwen the empire and the free territory of the plateau. The federation's chiefs very much appreciated it when Buga offered them the free circulation of the people of the plateau in the imperial territories, without asking for a hostage.
In 1520 Buga, in a great ceremony, declared Gano, Usae and Yude "fathers of the empire" and a big monument in their honour was built in front of the Sword castle. The castle itself was transformed in a center for historical studies and a museum of the Empire history.
In 1521 the last schools that were still open in the asylums, were closed, as the new educational system was fully operating. Therefore the asylums were reorganized and restructured as hospital centers. Buga also transformed the Pike castle in a center for medical and hygiene studies. Buga's idea was to gradually transform all the castles into centers for research and arts - nowadays the empire no longer had internal wars, it possessed a centralized, united and efficient army, therefore the castles had no further reason to exist as means of defence. Only the castles that were along the coast were entrusted to the army, because if one day a danger should arise, it would come only from overseas, from the great, far continent.
Meanwhile Nyoo was still under the illusion that nobody had recognized him, but in reality both Ario and Kimi were almost certain he was Funan. Ario carried out some researches and discovered that in fact the boy, when he changed his name, assumed that of Nyoo. This fact, and even more the fact that now the sole throne pretender was a great elector, upset him. Therefore, together with Kimi, he once invited all the great electors to his villa on Tuna, the small island between Fago and Chicha. During the party, he invited Nyoo to follow him in his private office. Here Ario and Kimi, who was already waiting there, as soon as Nyoo entered, prostrated themselves at his feet. The young man looked at them worriedly and asked them what were they doing. Ario said, "You are Funan, the sole legitimate inheritor of the throne. We are your loyal servants."
Nyoo denied it, but when Ario told him they would call his mother to confirm his true identity, he admitted the truth. "But Funan doesn't exist any more. The legitimate emperor sits on the throne. I pray you, forget who I was."
Ario and Kimi insisted, but Nyoo was unyelding. Then Ario told him, "At the death of the present emperor, we can try to arrange so that you will be elected, so giving the throne back to your family."
"I pray you! Even if I am elected, I will renounce. I'm fine as I am; the fact that I was born into the former imperial family is just an accident, absolutely devoid of any importance. The present empire and emperor have all my loyalty. And there is no sense in restablishing the hereditary system. Pray, forget forever who I was. Don't tell anybody, or else you will force me to flee and disappear once again."
Nyoo didn't know that these words had saved his life; in fact, if he showed the least intention to get the throne back, Ario had decided to kill him on the spot. So, Nyoo could quietly go back to his life, after making the two men swear they would never disclose his old identity to anybody.
At times, now that the empire had freed its waters from the pirates' hordes, some big merchant ships were starting to arrive from the continent. Buga understood that he had to build a strong nation, so that the merchants, going back to their lands, wouldn't talk of the empire as a land easy to conquer.
The foreign merchants were carrying interesting machines and new products, but more than willingly, also bought the agricultural and crafts products of the empire. Some groups of scholars from the empire, being curious about the continent, organized a journey there, coming back one or two years later, with plenty of news, ideas and proposals.
In 1521, with the merchants' ships, a richly decked out ship came as well - it carried a delegation from one of the kings of a coastal nation who asked to form an alliance. Buga received them with all the honors, had them visit several parts of the empire, and told them he intended to have good relationships with all the other nations but that he didn't see the use, at least for the moment, of a privileged relationship. He proposed the exchange of permanent representatives anyway, and when they left he sent rich presents to their king through them.
Now the connecting route with the continent was opened. After centuries, the time was almost over when relationships with the continent were prevented by the strength of the pirates. When Buga gathered the delegation to send to the continent to the king of Kokren, he asked Nyoo to lead it. The man asked him for permission to have his Freyr with him, both because he didn't want to be separated from him and also because the boy was born on the continent. Buga allowed that and also nominated Freyr as Nyoo's counsellor.
When they reached Sull, the Kokren capital, the delegation was received with all the honors, and accommodated in a luxury villa. When Freyr heard the local speech, he started to remember and in a few days was able to understand and to speak his old language fairly well. King Brayd threw a big party for the delegation, then wanted to talk in private with Nyoo who took Freyr with him. The king proposed a military alliance with the empire, for two reasons - to carry on the suppression of the last pirates and to have support against his bordering kingdoms. But Nyoo was there only to ask for authorization to have access to the culture and techniques of Kokren. They discussed several points, then Nyoo, leaving to the villa the others members of the delgation, went back to the court with Freyr to confer with Buga.
After several trips, a partial agreement between the two nations was reached - full collaboration to chase the pirates, regular commercial and cultural exchanges with the opening of a store-house in their respective lands and of a center for studies, but not a real military alliance yet.
Nyoo and Freyr were now spending three months in Kokren and three in the empire capital. Once, Nyoo asked Freyr if he desired to settle forever in the land of his birth. The boy answered that the the only desire he had was to live wherever Nyoo was, and the man was deeply elated by this answer.
In 1524 another delegation came from another kingdom - from Chakh. Everything happened like the first time and it was decided to exchange representatives with this kingdom too, which bordered Kokren. Buga asked Nyoo to go and open the new representation seat in the king Fuirl's land and also to establish a good relationship with him. The two bordering kingdoms, even though they were not at war, didn't have good relations, but Nyoo skillfully managed to keep the empire out of the problems existing between the two nations.
Meanwhile, news from travelers and merchants continued to flow to the court, giving a clearer picture of the situation on the continent, at least for the part facing the empire's main island. Year after year new delegations were also arriving, more relationships were forged. Each time Buga was sending Nyoo to smooth the way for these relationships, as he seemed to have an inborn skill for diplomacy.
In 1530 Buga asked Nyoo to remain at the capital to coordinate all their delegations abroad and to maintain the contacts with the foreign delegations that were at the capital. Nyoo accepted. He had also to coordinate the combined action of the imperial fleet for the hunt of pirates, and negotiate, once one of the pirates islands was conquered, to which nation this had to belong. The foreign powers claimed that the island had to belong to the nation that conquered it, but Nyoo didn't agree, he claimed they had to be given to the nearest nation, in fact he was afraid that one of the continental nations could push its zone of influence too near to the empire.
This spat gave way to a long quarrel that risked freezing the international relationships, but mainly with Chakh. This time too, Nyoo showed all his skill - the problem was solved, after extended negotiations, deciding that the island had to be given to the nearest kingdom. However, if it was freed by different nation, that nation could claim compensation, from the nation to which the island was assigned, for all the lives and ships lost in conquering it.
Nyoo really had this solution in mind from the beginning, thus he asked Buga to authorize the immediate departure of all the imperial fleet, which was now really strong, to attack the pirates islands, starting with the ones more distant from the empire. The fleet, which was ready for a long time, immediately left the ports and conquered the first island that was in Burrer territory. The losses were small and Burrer willingly redeemed them. Then the fleet assailed the three islands between Chakh and the empire, seizing them without too much difficulty, and to Chakh Buga gave the two islands belonging to its territory, after payement of two thirds of the damages.
Meanwhile the pirates who could escape from the conquered islands, were gathering in the remaining three islands, of which one belonged to Kokren and two to the empire. Nyoo ordered the attack on only the island near Kokren, which was was easily conquered, and Kokren redeemed it paying by the damages. Now it remained to storm just the last two islands, which were literally swarming with pirates and their ships.
The imperial fleet surrounded the two islands, which were divided by just a narrow strait, making a total blockade. The pirates who succeeded in fleeing from the other islands were not only the most lucky, but above all the ones who had the best and more manoeuvrable ships. That's why Nyoo had decided that the two islands, which were a very good refuge, were to be attacked the last - he had it in mind to conquer the pirates fleet as undamaged as possible, as well to take the largest number of pirates prisoner, and to disperse them as settlers in the wide northern provinces.
To achieve this, he had put right what he called his "secret weapon". He had asked to all the population of the empire to catch thousands of poisonous snakes alive, to be put in clay amphoras, closed with a strong cloth. The bite of these snakes was not deadly but caused a strong fever. His plan was to throw the amphoras from his ships onto the pirates ships. Then the amphoras, shattering on the decks, would free the snakes which would attack the pirates giving them much trouble.
But these snakes had a deadly enemy in a species of big wild cat that ate them, therefore Nyoo also had several hundred of these cats in cages on the imperial ships. Once a pirate ship surrendered and before boarding it, they would free some cats then, when they felt reasonably safe, they would seize the ship with all the pirates.
There was also a minimal risk for the imperial sailors who had to board the ships, but the game was worth the candle, because the virulent fever would only last a couple of months and then disappeared without consequences apart from some further period of weakness. The snake bite could be deadly only for children or very weak people, but this was surely not the case with soldiers.
Thus the imperial fleet reinforced the blockade, gradually approaching the pirates ships. These were preparing for the traditional boarding of the imperial ships as was their custom. But as soon as the imperial ships were within throwing distance, a shower of amphoras hit the pirate ships then the imperial ships rapidly sailed away. The effect was almost immediate - they saw the pirates running crazily trying to catch the snakes, then several of them were diving into the sea. When they saw the pirates ship drifting, no longer steered, they understood thet the snakes had completed their task.
They rescued the pirates who jumped into the sea and took them prisoner. Waiting until the snakes ended their job on the drifting ships, they approached them again and threw the cages with the wild cats onto the decks. They then waited for those to finish their duty too before boarding the ships, easily taking prisoner all the remaining pirates weakened by the violent fever. Thus Nyoo sent all the pirates ships with the prisoners well bound, to the port of Yuder.
Now the islands had practically no more naval protection. Therefore they attacked the few remaining ships, and then landed. As much as the pirates were sure to win at the start of the clash, they were now disheartened and surrendered in groups, fighting less and less. All were made prisoners, including women and children, and carried in groups to the various ports of the empire.
Then on the two islands, now practically unhabited, the families of settlers, to whom the land was assigned, started to disembark. But before that, carefully searching the two islands, Nyoo found the pirates hidden treasures - a quantity of gold so huge as to more than abundantly pay the cost of all the operations, which had kept the imperial fleet engaged for seven months.
When Nyoo went back to the capital, the emperor bestowed on him a true triumph - the empire, thanks to him, had acquired three more large islands, several dozen good ships, an immense treasure, besides great prestige face to the continental nations. But above all, the pirates had been totally swept away from the sea dividing the empire from the continent.
Moreover the three islands constituted a very good outpost in case the relationship with one of the continent nations should deteriorate. The empire didn't have expansionist aims, but wanted fixed and safe borders which it now had.
The relations with the continent continued to strengthen the progress of the sciences and techiques of the empire, which was becoming even stronger. The introduction of the construction technique of large chariots and the introduction of draught horses, also improved the road connections. Also the techique of perforation of rocks, learned on the continent, allowed them to dig road tunnels facilitating the connections through the mountains that ran the length of the nation.
CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 8
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