Shiren Brothers

Arc 1.01

This is the first arc of the Shiren Brothers series. I plan to finish this off in a single book. So all series are boiled down into five arcs, one arc for each brother. The first arc is dedicated to the first brother, Prince Kai, probably the most twisted of all. But I'll stay true to the overall vibe and keep this as light-hearted as possible.

*****

"Speak your grievance."

The cold voice echoed in the court, followed by pin-drop silence. The courtiers' eyes widened as they looked up at the eldest prince of Shiren, Prince Kai. Although this prince was proclaimed unfit to join the counterattack along with the rest of the princes and the King, he was proving to be a force far more stern and moral than the King himself. Within the three months that Prince Kai was given the Ruler's Seal, the great kingdom of Shiren saw some spectacular downfalls of many major families. 

Prince Kai was valiant and ruthless. He exposed the fraud and corruption that his father often overlooked. Most of these were by families with deep roots and lots of wealth. The commoners, who were often duped by these families, were exuberant with the new rules that kept coming and crushing the marketplace powerholders. However, the nobles were a totally different case.

The nobles detested the new laws that restrained their power and public status. The court officials often brought up complaints made by the nobles. But they were swiftly waved away by the prince's attendant. Such was the case today. Court official Lu somehow managed to bypass the prince's scary attendants and laid the case in front of the prince. 

"Your Highness! The laws you passed to restrict the power of the nobles is being misused! There has been several complaints of violence towards the nobles in public. The new policy restricts nobles from beating up audacious commoners that step out of bounds. This caused a ruckus as commoners are using this policy to provoke the nobles. Your Highness! Our daughters can not step out of of the house without protection. My daughter was pelted with rotten eggs last time she went for shopping. Most of the nobles are feeling bitter because of this."

Prince Kai had just raised his eyebrows, silently telling court official Lu to continue. Feeling accomplished, official Lu further spoke, "Your Highness... it would be best if we withdraw the last three policies. Moreover, the nobles should also be compensated for the violence they faced. Your highness, these are the best measures we can take to avoid social unrest while the King and the princes are away--" Court official Lu was cut off mid-sentence by Prince Kai's raised hand. 

The temperature in the court dropped infinitesimally. The prime minister couldn't help but sweat-drop. The saying that human greed has no bounds is definitely true. This measly court official Lu, with no honorary works under his name, dared to ask Prince Kai to withdraw his three policies that had actually brought about an improvement in the marketplaces of Shiren. What's more, he boldly demanded the prince to compensate the nobles, indirectly threatening His Highness with civil unrest and even implying that Prince Kai was incompetent in comparison with the King and his brothers. The prime minister shook his head in pity at court official Lu's bleak future.

Court official Lu gulped as he met eyes with the eldest prince of Shiren. He could now personally attest to the rumors that although Prince Kai's eyes saw no light, meeting them was like being dumped into an ice pit. The cold immediately surrounded you and seeped into your bones.

"Court official Lu, your demands seem rather sensible." Prince Kai rubbed his chin before turning towards the prime minister. "What does our prime minister have to say about this complaint?"  The prime minister froze. Breathing in the cold air, the prime minister did his best to keep his voice from trembling, "Your Highness. It's true that there have been rising cases of violence against the nobles. But compensating the nobles might not be a viable option at present. The war messenger from the realm borders sent the signal for food and  living supplies yesterday. Considering the huge amount of clothes and food to be dispatched, compensating the nobles isn't a wise choice." The prime minister bowed as he finished what he had to say.