his destiny was to lead his country, and
destiny would not allow him to perish this day. She knew from his writings to
her that he was determined to lead the land of his ancestors, to claim his
rightful place as leader, and to forever remove any opposition to his family’s dynasty
over China.
Whether
his title was Emperor made no difference, though she would have preferred if it
were. To see the proud flag of the Qing Dynasty fly over Beijing once again,
under a leader worthy of its history, was a dream too much to ask for. But if
her grandson were to become leader, and call himself Emperor, Dictator, or
Chairman, she would care not. For he would have fulfilled his destiny, and she
would be able to finally die in peace, with the knowledge she had fulfilled her
word to her Emperor.
The door
creaked behind her. She looked over her shoulder, and at the darkness within.
“Grandmother.”
She
smiled as she recognized the voice. Pushing herself from her chair, she took
one final glance at the soldiers, then went inside. Her eyes quickly adjusted
and she held out her arms, hugging the rugged warrior that now stood before
her.
“Zedong,
my little one, what are you doing here?”
He
returned her hug, hard, then pushed her back gently, looking into her eyes.
“I have
come to say goodbye.”
She
wagged a finger at him. “Don’t you dare lose faith.”
He
smiled at her and laughed. “Grandmother, I shall never lose faith. Never have I
been closer to my goal, despite what might appear as setbacks. The leaders the
Soviet Union sent us are failing, and once they have shown their inability to
lead our glorious Chinese men and women, I shall be there, waiting in the
wings, to lead once again.
“But
today, we must leave this area. It will be a long, arduous journey, but
if—when—we escape the imperialist hordes, we will be able to reunite, stronger
than ever before, and once and for all unite our country under the flag of
communism, and with that, a single leader at its helm.”
“You.”
He
nodded, still holding her by the shoulders.
“Yes,
me.”
Mei took
him by the hand and led him to the fire, where she took a seat, and he knelt at
her feet.
“This
long march of yours, where will it take you?”
He shook
his head. “That, I’m not sure. For now, we must break the encirclement the
Kuomintang are attempting. Once free of that, we will need to try and put as
much distance as we can between them and us, and return to the North where we
are strongest. It could take a year or more.”
“You
will send word when you can?”
“Every
chance I can, but it may take a long time. Do not worry should you not hear
from me. You will hear of me, of that I have no doubt.”
Mei
beamed with pride. “I hear of you every day, and must be careful that I do not
burst from my clothes when my chest swells with the pride I feel at your
deeds.” She looked over her shoulder and out the window as the soldiers
continued to march by. “But you must go now. We tempt fate with you being here,
and your enemy so close.” She struggled to her feet, and Zedong assisted her
with a steadying arm.
She led
him to the back door, then hugged him hard. Staring into his eyes, she smiled.
“Do not
worry about me on your long march. For at the end, you shall find victory, and
I shall be here, waiting for word of your destiny fulfilled.”
Zedong
smiled, kissed her forehead, then stepped out the back door, closing it behind
him. She watched through the small window as he ran along a hedgerow, away from
the house and away from his enemy.
Be
strong on your long march, my little one, for your country cries out for its
rightful leader.
Hilton Beijing Hotel, Beijing, China
Today
“What do you think it means?”
Professor
James Acton lay on the bed, hands behind his neck, eyes closed, relaxing in the
buff after a long, hot shower that had succeeded in only removing some of the kinks from twenty hours on a plane. He raised
destiny would not allow him to perish this day. She knew from his writings to
her that he was determined to lead the land of his ancestors, to claim his
rightful place as leader, and to forever remove any opposition to his family’s dynasty
over China.
Whether
his title was Emperor made no difference, though she would have preferred if it
were. To see the proud flag of the Qing Dynasty fly over Beijing once again,
under a leader worthy of its history, was a dream too much to ask for. But if
her grandson were to become leader, and call himself Emperor, Dictator, or
Chairman, she would care not. For he would have fulfilled his destiny, and she
would be able to finally die in peace, with the knowledge she had fulfilled her
word to her Emperor.
The door
creaked behind her. She looked over her shoulder, and at the darkness within.
“Grandmother.”
She
smiled as she recognized the voice. Pushing herself from her chair, she took
one final glance at the soldiers, then went inside. Her eyes quickly adjusted
and she held out her arms, hugging the rugged warrior that now stood before
her.
“Zedong,
my little one, what are you doing here?”
He
returned her hug, hard, then pushed her back gently, looking into her eyes.
“I have
come to say goodbye.”
She
wagged a finger at him. “Don’t you dare lose faith.”
He
smiled at her and laughed. “Grandmother, I shall never lose faith. Never have I
been closer to my goal, despite what might appear as setbacks. The leaders the
Soviet Union sent us are failing, and once they have shown their inability to
lead our glorious Chinese men and women, I shall be there, waiting in the
wings, to lead once again.
“But
today, we must leave this area. It will be a long, arduous journey, but
if—when—we escape the imperialist hordes, we will be able to reunite, stronger
than ever before, and once and for all unite our country under the flag of
communism, and with that, a single leader at its helm.”
“You.”
He
nodded, still holding her by the shoulders.
“Yes,
me.”
Mei took
him by the hand and led him to the fire, where she took a seat, and he knelt at
her feet.
“This
long march of yours, where will it take you?”
He shook
his head. “That, I’m not sure. For now, we must break the encirclement the
Kuomintang are attempting. Once free of that, we will need to try and put as
much distance as we can between them and us, and return to the North where we
are strongest. It could take a year or more.”
“You
will send word when you can?”
“Every
chance I can, but it may take a long time. Do not worry should you not hear
from me. You will hear of me, of that I have no doubt.”
Mei
beamed with pride. “I hear of you every day, and must be careful that I do not
burst from my clothes when my chest swells with the pride I feel at your
deeds.” She looked over her shoulder and out the window as the soldiers
continued to march by. “But you must go now. We tempt fate with you being here,
and your enemy so close.” She struggled to her feet, and Zedong assisted her
with a steadying arm.
She led
him to the back door, then hugged him hard. Staring into his eyes, she smiled.
“Do not
worry about me on your long march. For at the end, you shall find victory, and
I shall be here, waiting for word of your destiny fulfilled.”
Zedong
smiled, kissed her forehead, then stepped out the back door, closing it behind
him. She watched through the small window as he ran along a hedgerow, away from
the house and away from his enemy.
Be
strong on your long march, my little one, for your country cries out for its
rightful leader.
Hilton Beijing Hotel, Beijing, China
Today
“What do you think it means?”
Professor
James Acton lay on the bed, hands behind his neck, eyes closed, relaxing in the
buff after a long, hot shower that had succeeded in only removing some of the kinks from twenty hours on a plane. He raised
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