License to Cultivate Bonus Content: Min

Note: This is not necessarily canonical. It's the sketch I did while designing the character, and some parts may be obsolete, but I think it's a fun look at backstory that may or may not end up coming to the main plot! Just wanted to share some fun bonus content on Patreon as a thanks to everyone who has subscribed.

Huang Shi Min listened at the rice paper door as her grandfathers argued.

"Those tax rates would... If I do not raise the taxes, I will not be able to pay the Emperor's family's due," Grandfather Huang Guo said.

"If you raise them, my brothers will suffer," Grandfather Jiang retorted. "Did I not persuade my younger brethren three years ago when you raised taxes that it would be the last for at least a decade?"

"The Emperor has increased his burden—“

“Then find another way to raise your money," Grandfather Jiang said, "not on the backs of my brave brothers, the laborers and artisans who are the backbone of this province. Raise the tax on rice rotting in the warehouse. Or the cost of a travel permit. The Oaken Band Brotherhood has stood strong behind you for the past two decades. Do not take our support for granted, just because of the ties that bind you and me.”

Min felt a touch on her shoulder. Startled, she looked up. Her mother made a gesture for her to follow. Min rose, carefully arranging the folds of her robe, before quietly following her mother from the hall.

It was not until they had stepped out to the courtyard that Mother spoke.

"Your brothers told me I would find you here. A most inappropriate place for a young girl."

"Both my grandfathers have encouraged me to learn the family business," Min said, raising her chin.

“By listening at doors?” her mother challenged. Besides what need do you have to learn the family business, my daughter? You have two brothers. Yuan-li shall follow your Grandfather Huang. Wei-lin shall follow who your grandfather Jiang."

“Yuan-li cares only for wine and girls, and Wei-lin only for poetry and boys," Min retorted. "Should we not prepare for the possibility that one of my grandfathers will look elsewhere?”

"Insolent girl," her mother replied. Just then, the door slid back, and her grandfather, Jiang, stood in the doorway.

“Father.” Mother bowed respectfully, and Min followed.

"Greetings, my lotus blossom," he said to Mother. "Still content with your life in the home of your husband's father? Or will you return today with me to the home of your girlhood? Your second son will welcome your coming.”

"My love for the family that you found for me is as much as the family I was born into. My place is here. My husband entrusted our children's welfare to me before his death, and I can do that best here.”

Grandfather Jiang snorted. "So he did. And what of you, Precious Pearl?" he asked Min. "It has been several months since I saw you. Would you like a new pair of slippers, or a book of poetry, perhaps?"

Min hesitated. She did not want either of those. Her grandfather seemed to see that as he smiled.

"Come, my Pearl, do anything you want. If it is in your power to give, I will grant you."

She took a deep breath.

"I would like a tutor who will instruct me in the laws for province and in tax accounting," she said.

Her mother drew back in horror. Her grandfather looked at her with an appraising look.

"You are thirteen this summer?"

"Fourteen," she replied boldly.

"And not yearning for the graces you needed to find yourself a husband?"

"I do not think slippers and poetry are how Mother came by her husband," Min said.

Her mother gasped. Grandfather chuckled. He turned back to Mother.

"Now there is the family spirit! I thought you and that spineless peasant-brained stripling had produced a generation of weaklings. But here I find a treasure indeed! Yes, Min, I think I can give you the tutor. You shall come and stay with me for a few months."

Mother seized Min's shoulders.

"No."

Grandfather Jiang's voice was an iron rasp. "My daughter? You intervene?”

“Her place is here with her father’s family!”

“You tell me where my family belongs?” Grandfather asked, his own fingers curled on Min's shoulders. "I will have a word with your grandfather Huang. You shall come."

Mother let go of her shoulder. Grandfather steered her with an iron grasp. Before Min realized what he had done, they was back inside, standing in Grandfather Guo's study without so much as rapping at the door.

Grandfather Guo rose from his desk, his face, his expression changed from annoyed to terrified to smoothed over and obsequious within seconds, so fast that Min thought she must have mistaken the transition. He bowed more deeply than Min had ever seen him bow to anyone.

This was the first time she had ever seen the two grandfathers together in public at a feast, at meetings. If they even acknowledged each other then. Yet the powerful Governor Huang of Riceflower Province seemed deferential. Even fearful. “Father of my son's wife, how may I aid you now?"

"I wish to know my only granddaughter better than I do," Grandfather Jiang said, his hands still on Min's shoulder. "Min will be coming to spend some time with me."

Grandfather Guo inclined his head. "Of course."

And with that, Grandfather Jiang propelled Min out of her comfortable life into a brand new world.

Min was astonished to see how similar, and how different, were the households of her two governors. Both were enormous compounds housing tens of relations, dozens of hangers-on, hundreds of servants, guards, attendants and scribes. Grandfather Guo’s mansion sprawled across a whole hillside outside of Green River City, the headquarters of the Oaken Band brotherhood, most powerful of all the associations in Riceflower Province.

Grandfather Jiang’s was in the heart of the town, just half a mile from the river docks. The outskirts were imposing walls with frowning guards atop. Inside was a maze of different buildings, all capped with bright blue roofs. Day and night, the place hummed like a hive.

People came to Grandfather Jiang, presenting petitions and asking his aid, just as they do to Grandfather Guo. The difference was, when Grandfather Jiang agreed to aid someone, he did so not by telling a scribe to send a letter, or writing off a debt. He sent men of the Oaken Band Brotherhood. When a widow of a young man's age was making, he dispatched six strong men with a writ to acquire the thatch they needed, and the work was mended the next day. When a man’s daughter had been taken by a nobleman, though he had paid off the debt owed two weeks before it was due, Grandfather Jiang sent armed men to retrieve the girl, and to deliver a warning.

When a complaint came that a shopkeeper in a street under the protection of the Oaken Brotherhood was shorting measures of rice, Grandfather Jiang sent two of his strong men along with a scribe hired from the local scribe's house. When they returned, they brought both the merchant’s thumbs with them.

Grandfather Guo pronounced the law for the province. Grandfather Jiang executed justice for the Brotherhood. When people spoke, he spoke back to them. She noted how he appreciated shows of strength and despised weaklings and schemers.

And so, after two months, she approached him, as he feasted the Oaken Band Brotherhood. The hall overflowered with many different ranks, from the inner circle who attended every celebration to those from the outer groups invited to have a glimpse at the true strength of the brotherhood and have a chance to meet their Eldest Brother. Men and women sat together, unlike at her other grandfather’s feasts, and the mood was far merrier and less mannerly.

He was deep in his cups by then, laughing, singing. When he noted her, he gestured her forward.

"What is it?"

Min cleared her throat. "My grandfather, my tutors have educated me in the laws of the lands and the principles of the county. I wish to learn something new.”

“And what is that? I shall hire a tutor for you at once."

"The tutor is most exclusive.”

"Nonsense, my dear. I shall see it done. What is it you wish to learn?"

"I wish to learn the business of the Brotherhood. I wish to learn what it is you do."

Grandfather sat up straight. The music halted. She could feel all eyes on her as Grandfather looked over her. “And what is it that I do?”  She heard a note of danger in his voice.

“You protect the brotherhood. As our family has always protected the done. As I wish to do.”

“Yes,” he acknowledged. “That is why I have your brother in training now.”

“My brother is useless to you. Let him make me the valuable alliance that my mother intended for me. He can go to the Court of Gems, and I can stay here in his place. He’s better suited there anyway.”

She knew it was true. She had spoken with her brother about his desires. He wanted to be part of the Imperial Court, which their family status entitled to them to, to experience the culture and refinement that came with being around the highest ranks of cultivators.

She waited for her grandfather's answer. And waited. He kept his eyes fixed on her. She didn't look away. And last, her grandfather said, "You go too far.”

“No farther than you, when you went to Grandfather Huang and offered your only daughter in marriage to his only son in exchange for paying off the tax he owed the emperor. You won what six generations of our ancestors could not afford that. The emperor's own blood flows through our family's veins!”

True, she was in the most distant of circle of descendants who could still claim the Emperor their legendary ancestor. Should she join the Court of Gems, it would be the plain red circle of the outer court. Her imperial ancestor went back six generations prior.

“If you wish to have your successor carry the emperor's blood, then, I am a choice. Not my brother.”

"Why is it you wish such a thing, my child? Do you seek advancement? Do you have ambition? There are easier ways.”

"I seek to excel," she said. “Were I a daughter of a poet, I should become the greatest poet of all time. Were I the daughter of a dancer, I would dance to make hearts weep. Were I the daughter of a bricklayer, I should build houses that would stand for a thousand years. But I am the daughter of men who make things happen. And so I would make the world bend to my will.”

Grandfather stared. Then he threw back his head and laughed as she had never seen him laugh before. "Come." and shooed away the man at his left hand. “Sit here. We begin your education tonight."

After two years of study with her grandfather, Min was used to operating on her own. She heard appeals from those with grudges against other men. She went out with the fixers to supervise errands. She hired scribes to stand witness to those dark deeds which must have be witnessed.

And so she was sitting in her grandfather’s place atop the silken cushions, wearing her robe with the outer band of red, which her blood entitled her to, When the messengers came from the army, a captain and three other men dressed in the dark feathers and furs, the army sported to show that they operated according to the strictures of the Imperial Court. The captain and others bowed low.

“We are here to speak with Eldest Brother Jiang," the captain said.

"I am his granddaughter and heir, Min," she said. “I speak for him.”

"This is no matter for girls,” the captain said. “Your grandfather must hear this.”

“He shall, once I have learned what it is you seek and can tell them.” She held out her hand and showed that she was holding his seal scroll, a small ivory cylinder that would leave an impression in wax.

The captain scowled, bowing again, and produced a scroll of his own. It was parchment, rolled up tightly and tied with two different colors of ribbon. Black for the army, white for the Office of Cultivation. The seal was sealed together with a blob of pale golden wax bearing the Emperor's mark.

Min hesitated. Perhaps she should summon her grandfather for this. She caught the captain's look of disdain, and used her stiletto to slice open the parchment. After reading the words there, she looked at the captain.

“Cultivators coming to the Tower of Golden Moon.”

"It is time the Tower be cleared. It has not been done since the Great Riceflower Cataclysm.”

“This seems like a matter for the Governor." Min said, her mind distracted with a thousand thoughts.

"We have already been to him,” the captain said. "We asked for our tithe,T the workers and artisans we require. He directed us here and so I brought our request."

That was Governor Huang doing Grandfather Jiang a good turn by letting the Oaken Band be involved in choosing all the artisans and laborers, hired guards and other personnel who would be needed support an Imperial Tower climb. They would the choicest jobs, as well as being able to hand out plum positions to supporters.

Min rose. She clapped her hands."All other petitioners are dismissed. We shall address your concerns tomorrow morning," she said.

When one or two protested, her grandfather's guards moved them from the room. She ordered servants to bring refreshments for the soldiers, and went in search of her Grandfather.

He was sitting by his koi pond, studying the largest fish where it slept under an overhanging willow tree. She knelt beside him, and quickly told him what had happened. He made no move to rise.

"You have provided for their refreshment?"

"Of course."

"Good. What do you think, Min, of this opportunity?"

She noted how he used her name, rather than calling her Granddaughter, or one of his affectionate nicknames, and chose her words carefully. “I think it is both a danger and an opportunity."

"Go on."

She took a deep breath. "A danger, because it has been so long since the Tower was cleared. It should be overflowing with dire beasts which could spill out and devastate the land around. Yet it has not already done so. That indicates that perhaps this Tower has lost its potency, and no longer is able to raise a cultivator to the highest peaks. If that is the case, the Emperor will be greatly disappointed. Anyone who is associated with the attempt may be inked with the brush of failure. Conversely, if it is stronger than expected, there will be more losses than the Emperor deems acceptable. It is clever of Grandfather Huang to lay this on our brotherhood.”

"Is that so?”

"Clever, yet cowardly," she said. "But then he has fallen into a habit of relying on you to sort him out of his problems, has he not?"

Grandfather Jiang chuckled. "Perhaps. I fear your eldest brother may be slipping into the same habits. You will have to look after him when I am gone. Or perhaps replace him. It will be up to you to decide."

“Of course Grandfather, but as I said, it is also a great opportunity for us. By allowing us to choose our most trusted brethren for this task, we stand to make a fortune. Not only that, we can place our own hopeful cultivators close to a tower, the only path to ascension. None of the brotherhoods in Riceflower a have more than a first-rank cultivator to boast of. Could we elevate one of ours to the second or perhaps third rank? We could defeat our rivals, perhaps even be able to consolidate our power in this region."

"Precisely," her grandfather said. "So what do you plan to do?"

"Me?" Min was taken aback.

"I think this is a fine test to see if you are worthy of rising from apprentice to journeyman," said Grandfather.

Min thought frantically, already sorting the tasks into different baskets. She would need to determine what sort of allocations were initially needed, arrange for lines of communication, see which allied brotherhoods could be invited, share in the bounty, which guilds might be forced to join with the brotherhood in order to have a chance at the prize.

"I need to be there," she realized.

Her grandfather gave no sign of whether or not he agreed. "Go on."

"I will need to be on-site to manage surprises and challenges that arrive. There will undoubtedly be some. We shall undoubtedly need to involve both allies and rivals in this, and that will bring conflict. If we try to keep it to ourselves, our rivals would band together to displace us. By looking willing to share the bounty, we shall look magnanimous. Also I, on the spot as your representative, can make efforts to win over any promising cultivator candidates from the other brotherhoods."

“That may be,” Grandfather agreed.

"Not only that, I can go where no other member of the Brotherhood can."

"Explain," her grandfather said.

"This is a sponsored climb. That means the Court of Gems will undoubtedly be represented. I have claim to enter the Court of Gems.  And there are several others in our province who could claim to the red or orange circles. My brother, for one."

Her grandfather grunted. "Yes, I had expected your other grandfather to dispose of him at some point in the past two years, but he has made no effort to see the boy settled. Certainly, take him along. Have him snare a willing cultivator and bring them into our own circles. But, Min, if you are there in that kind of dual role, you shall find it hard to keep the lines separate, between Brotherhood and Court.”

"I don't see why I'd need to. I am both Min of the brotherhood and Min, daughter of the Emperor. There are not two of me, so there need not be two roles."

"If you are in the Court of Gems, you must be wary lest a cultivator come along and claim you for his own."

Min laughed. "I have had enough lessons in the ways of men and women to avoid entanglements I do not wish. Besides, if my brother could bring us a useful connection, so can I. A promising young cultivator, able to reach the fourth rank or higher, would be a valuable asset, and even more valuable as a consort for me in the future. We both know there are some who mistake my sex for weakness. With a cultivator at my side, they would not dare oppose me."

Grandfather smiled, and to her shock, he bowed to her, as he would to an equal. "Truly, granddaughter, you are the one worthy to be my successor. Accomplish all you set out to here, and I shall rest easy when it is time for me to join our ancestors, for I will know I have done the most important duty a descendant has, for I have ensured that our bloodline will endure."