第十二回 又闻奇士思（2）（1 / 1）

YourMajesty,mydearbrother,

Whenyoureadthisletter,inallprobabilityIwillhavealreadyreturnedtodust.Ihavelongbeenexpectingtosubmittodeath,sinceitiseveryone’sdestiny.However,astheknellsummonsmetoheavenortohell,Ichoosetowritedownmytortuouslife,ratherthantoburyitinthisbleakandgrimpalace,whichmerelyfacilitatesthevillain’sambitionandhashadmyhonourablelorddeceived.

Twentyyearsago,whenyoudeterminedtosendmetothischaoticcountry,Icouldnothelpbutholdagrudgeagainstyou.Yououghttorememberthatweoncereachedtheconsensusthatnocountryunderthesunwasasgloriousasours.Thus,Iknewthatalthoughseeminglyaspecialfavourtome,dispatchingmetobethelordofoneofourvassalstateswasactuallyintendedtoeliminatemeasapotentialthreat,therebyconsolidatingyourthrone.Atthattimeyouhadbeenmarriedforsixyearswithoutchildren.Iwasyouronlybrother,appreciatedbyourfatherandministersincourt.Youforcedmetocomehereagainstmyownwilltobecomethelordofaboorishandunrulypeople,whoneverunderstoodtheimportanceofrespectingtheirmonarch.Mysourcesinformedmethatyouintendedtouseborrowedhandstokillme,yetIcouldfindnootherpathotherthantoobeyyourorders.YoualsosentJohn,BarryandLambert,yourever-trustedministers,togowithme,assertingthattheyweretheretoassistme.Nevertheless,whodidn’tknowthiswasbutanunderhandedwaytomonitorandcontrolyourbrotherYoumaynotknowthatwhenItookthelastlookatmyhomeland,IsworetomyselfthatIwouldridmyselfofyourrestraint,subjugatethepeopleofmynewlandandturnthedomainintothemostprosperousvassalstatethathadeverbeen,nomatterwhatthecost.IwantedtomakethemotherlandawarethatyouonlybecametheKingbyrightofthefirstbornandhumiliateyoubythescaleofmyachievements.Asfortheassistantsyougaveme,Iwouldtakethemasmyown,makingthemmostwillingtoserveme,notyou.Ihadalreadylosttheopportunitytooutmatchyoufacetoface,butIwouldstillsurpassyou,evenfromafar.

Iftimepausedatthetenthyear,nothingwouldberegretted.Duringthefirsttenyears,Imadefulluseofthethreeassistants’conflictsandmanagedthembyalternatingkindnesswithcruelty.Theyallmaintainedsuspicionofoneother,andwantedtomaximisetheirownbenefitswiththehelpofmypower.Moreover,Imadeacommonenemyofthelocalmalfeasantsandunitedusinoureffortstostampoutcorruption.TheyprovidedmewiththegreatestsupportwhenIfellfoulofthelocalgrandees.Itookbloodymeanstoeradicatevenality,anddevelopedoureconomyandeducationsystemtothehighestdegree.Ourtributesrankedfirstamongallthevassalstates.Yousathighinthecapital,andshouldhavealreadyheardmygoodnameasIbroughtthiscountrytoapinnacleofcultureandpower,aperiodofpoliticalstability,socialtranquility,andeconomicprosperity.

However,itispatheticthatjustasmyachievementspeaked,Ibegantosink.PerhapsbecauseInonethelessrealisedthatIhadlittlechancetoreturntomymothercountryandmyreignseemedgoingwell,IincreasinglydelegatedmyresponsibilitiestoJohn,whobetrayedmytrust,engineeringBarryandLambert’sremovalanddeath.Fromthenon,Isoughtnothingbutsensualpleasuresuntiltroublesbrokeoutathome.Johnhadatightgriponpower,andstepbystep,mademehispuppet.Thewomanhesenttomewasanunrivalledbeauty,yetnothingmorethanaformofpoison;intendedtoagemewhileofferinghimultimatepower.Thewholecountry,fromthoseinthecourttothoseinthecountryside,submittedtohiminsteadoftome,whileIwentonaspreewithmyconcubinesdayandnight,livingalifeofluxuryanddebauchery.Later,Ilosteverything,askarmadictated.Heoccupiedmywife,andmychildrenweredriventosuicide.EveryretainerthatIoncefavouredturnedtohimandendeavouredtopleasehim.Nobodystayedbehind.Notone.Behold!Humanbeingsforeverfollowpowermeeklyandabandonloyaltyandintegritywithouthesitationaslongasthelureissufficient.I,yourbrother,wasforcedtoenduremiseryandextremesolitude—asharpcontrasttothosebygoneyearsofgloryandprosperity.

Johnkeptmeincaptivity,andbythetimeIrealizedIwasunabletoresist,itwastoolate.Howironicitisformetoescapethedangeroustrapyouset,yetdieinthesweetgreenhouseheestablishedinstead.John’sruthlessnesshadlongprovokedoutragefromourpeople,butheusedmeashisshield,attributingallofhisevildeedstomyorders.IknowthatevenifIamnotkilledbyhim,Iwillonedaybetrampledtomudbythepeople.Andourarmedforces,weakenedbyyourlongenforceddisarmament,arenomatchagainstthemob.Bythen,thecountrywillnotbelongtotheroyalty,andwillnotbelongtoyou.Whatwillhappenthen

Iamnotsurewhen,orevenif,youwillreceivethisletter.Ifsomedayyousendareliablemessengertoseeme,Iwillundoubtedlypassitonatanycost,andthenembracemydeath.WhatyoumustknowisthatIdonotresentyouanymoreafterthelastblood-soakeddecade,butIreallyhopeyoucanavengeme,andkeepeternalreignofourgreatcountryandvassalstates.

Finally,Ipresentyoualavishgift.Johnprobablyloweredhisguardagainstme,enablingmetooverhearasecretduringoneofhisprivateconversations.Hehasbeenworriedthatyoumayrecallhim,orthattheremayberiots,sohehaskepttransferringthetreasuresandwealthhehasbuilt——legalorillegal,farbeyondyourimagination,evenmorethantherichesthatfillyourpalace,toanunknownislandbyboat,justa**allamountineachtripinordertoavoidbeingconspicuous.Heexaggeratedwithpridethattheislandwasaheavenlyplace.Fromhisdescription,Iguessthatitliestotheeastofmycountry.Itshouldbeanelongatedlandmassspanningadiagonalnorthwest-southeastaxiswithvastlowlandinterspersedwithswampsintheeastbutlushmountainsinthewest.Hesaidhecouldsetuparichkingdomforhisoffspringjustbytradingthelocalcoffee,palmoilandgold,withouteventouchingthetreasurehetookthere.Mylord,onceyougetthereyouwillbeabletoeffortlesslytakethetreasureasyourown,anduseittoestablishaninvinciblearmy.Ifyouhaveeventhetiniestslitherofmercyforme,comehereandshatterJohn’sdream.Foryoumustrealisethatonlywitharmedforcecanyougoverntheworld.Nothingelsecan.

Iwillbesoongonewiththewind.LongliveourillustriousRoyalfamily.

.

Yours,

Edward

.

好吧，凡是**的就是日本某知名产业……