22 CHAPTER 22 (Viva La Vida)
~~~ Imperial Crown Prince Siagu's POV ~~~
"Let me go you bastards! I am the rightful Sultan of Sulu!" the man shouted angrily.
"You are all making a big mistake! I am the Sultan of Sulu! Not that bastard Duke of Sulu!" He continues while struggling to break free from the imperial guards.
I and Khao were about to go near the commotion but the eunuchs along with the court ladies surround us while Radhesh shakes his head telling me to not intervene. Our only choice then is to observe from the distance the commotion outside the mansion.
HRHC Sae then came rushing towards us. Arriving in front of us she then hugs both me and Khao as if she is comforting us.
"You both are okay, right? Nothing bad happened to the both of you, right?" She worriedly asked while checking me and Khao's body.
"We are fine, Mother. Why are you so worried?" Khao asked innocently while looking at her mother who is still worried.
"Thank goodness you two are fine!" She exclaims while caressing Khao's face.
"What is happening, Aunt Sae?" I ask. HRHC Sae has allowed me to call her aunt
"Nothing really, just a man who cannot accept reality. We just need to stay here for your own safety, okay?" We both nod towards her, assuring her that we won't be leaving this place. We all then turn our attention towards the commotion outside the mansion.
"We invited you out of respect to your ancestors Sultan Shahabud-Din and your connection to the House Siasi. This ball was to celebrate our country's founding anniversary, and politics and disputes were set aside to celebrate. But you did not comply with that." Dad said while shielding my mother with his left arm while Faris Qasimuddin continues to struggle his way out from the restraints of the household guards.
"You insisted to be called by the title the Sultan of Sulu by the attendees of the ball, which gain you the animosity of the empire's nobles, intellects, and ministers. Not to mention that your act of forcing others to address you as the Sultan of Sulu is a blatant insult to the current Duke of Sulu, Duke Jamalul Kiram II." Dad said seriously while staring at the struggling man. Duke Jamalul Kiram II on the other hand is currently being restrained by his older sister, Duchess Maria and my Uncle Sharvil.
"My ancestors used to rule that land! It should be mine, not his!" he shouted angrily
"We both have the same ancestors!" The young Duke Jamalul Kiram II shouted in anger after hearing what the restrained man have said.
Hearing Duke Jamalul Kiram II's response to him, the man instantly continues to throw a fit while shouting "You are the descendants of a whore! Your entire bloodline is tainted with blood from the heathens! You are unworthy to rule the entire archipelago!"
Instantly, after hearing the struggling man's response, a shocked expression appeared on the faces of the entire observing guests. Calling a commoner, a descendant of a whore will not really matter, but calling a sitting Duke? Who is also the brother-in-law of the emperor? This will only cause you more trouble than good.
Despite the age of 12, a ranging Duke Jamalul Kiram II almost escape the tight restraints of my uncle, while the crowds are continuing their murmurs and whispers. My uncle's wife, Duchess Maria of Cebu, on the other hand, is glaring maliciously towards the struggling man, as if she will be pounding at the man anytime.
"Ow!" A squealing scream of pain once again catches the attention of the entire observer. Only to see the once-raging unruly man, curling on the imperial ground holding his stomach while tears and saliva mix with mucus oozing out from his eyes, mouth, and nose. While the guards that once held the man are now looking at Luna in shock and disbelief.
"Never disrespect a noble, vermin. (ptooey)" Major General Luna seriously said after spitting on the man. Before instantly making a disgusted face while cleaning his fist with a white handkerchief.
Apparently, Major General Luna punches the man on his stomach after hearing disrespectful remarks from the man.
Looks like his temper and attitude in my past world are still the same in this universe.
"That must have been painful." I quietly said while thinking about the pain of being punched by Antonio Luna in the guts.
"You can't really reason with a delusional individual. Throw him out now." Dad said while shaking his head. My mother on the other hand is comforting him as people continue to whisper about tonight's ordeal.
The whole night's ball was now in ruin after that scandalous ordeal. I wasn't able to follow up more about what happened after since I, along with the other children are escorted to our respective quarters to take our rest.
It wasn't until morning that I learned what really transpired last night's commotion. Apparently, the raging man's last light was Faris Qasimuddin. And last night, he insisted to be called by all attendees as the Sultan of Sulu, and when no one complied with his demands he suddenly throws a fit and started harassing people. This angers my father and the other guests at the ball, and a number of household guards rush into the venue and restrain Faris Qasimuddin. After that, everything we witnessed outside the venue is what followed.
It was also discovered that his main goal, if ever he succeeded in his plan, is to rule the entire archipelago under his absolute rule, abolishing the established government on the archipelago. Which was met with outrage from the people of the archipelago after hearing the news of Faris's disrespect towards house Siasi and the current Duke.
House Siasi is a well-respected noble house in the entire archipelago. The current Duke and his entire family are loved by the people and are constantly helping them.
Also, the role of the nobles who used to rule their respective domains became symbolic and the ruling of the entire land is now on the hand of those elected officials. But despite their symbolical role in their ancestral domain, they still hold a huge influence over the people on the land. That is why when Faris Qasimuddin insulted the duke and his house, it was taken as an insult by the entire populace of Sulu. Which is quite bad for Faris since he just lost the entire support of the locals.
Anyways, just this morning, newspapers throughout the empire started to circulate the event that transpired last night. The content of the news further ridicules Faris Qasimuddin as the headline itself of the Lobestar Tribute is mocking him "Sultan of Self-Importance Thrown Out of Ball After Overstepping His Boundaries".
Even the biggest democracy-promoting newspaper called 'Butuan Freedom' made an article about him with the headline ""Self-Proclaimed Sultan" Ejected from Ball After Demanding Royal Treatment". The commotion during the founding anniversary ball became the talk of the entire empire for almost a week.
And now, I am currently sitting inside the music room while playing the piano. I don't have anything to do and since I knew how to play the piano, I grab the chance and played the song that I like.
"I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning, I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own…"
It has been 20 days since the 2-day founding anniversary celebration of the empire happened and a lot of things have happened since then.
Firstly, Her Royal Highness Consort Sae Rojanadis along with other members of the delegates from the Kingdom of Siam have left the empire by the next day after the ball.
It was a sad parting day for me and Khao but we just keep quiet while my sister and brother started crying. They have been attached to Khao after just 2 short days of interaction. My younger siblings wanted her to stay, but I made them understand that Khao isn't ready yet to be separated from her parents. It almost took me a whole 20 minutes just to make my siblings understand and stop crying.
Secondly, Ji-Hwan, the head Eunuch of Prince Yeong's entourage, on the other hand, requested an extension for Prince Yeong and his people to remain in the imperial complex a few days after Khao and her family departed the complex. Citing that the royal court of Joseon has been turbulent since the last visit of my father to the Kingdom.
Well, apparently, the royal court of Joseon was divided on having Prince Yeong marry my sister. Resulting in two rival factions emerging in the royal court of Joseon, the Southern Faction and the Northern Faction.
The Southern Faction is a pro-Butuan faction, led by Min Young-ik, the Minister of Rites in the Joseon government. Believes that the union between the Imperial Princess of Butuan and Prince Yeong would strengthen the relationship between Joseon and the Empire of Butuan, which would be beneficial for both countries. King Gojong, Royal Noble Consort Sunheon, Prime Minister Kim Hong-seok, and the Minister of War Yi Ha-je, are prominent figures in the Southern Faction.
The Northern Faction, an anti-Butuan and pro-Japanese faction, is led by Yi Sang-ju, the Minister of Taxation in the Joseon government. He believes that the Empire of Butuan is a dangerous and unpredictable country, and he is concerned that an alliance with Butuan would drag Joseon into conflict with other powers in the region. Crown Prince Sunjong, Grand Internal Prince Yi Ha-eung (King Gojong's father), and the Minister of Punishment Park Jin-seok, are the prominent supporters of the Northern Faction.
The rivalry between the two factions intensifies, making the royal court of Joseon more unstable. This prompted King Gojong of Joseon to use the pretense of having Prince Yeong the delegate of Joseon to the Empire of Butuan along with his entourage to secure his safety.
The request was accepted by my mother, thinking to use this opportunity for my sister and Prince Yeong to nurture their friendship and develop some bonds. And just days after Ji-Hwan's request for an extended stay was approved by my mother, I already saw my sister along with Prince Yeong playing with each other in the Imperial Garden.
Thirdly, my classes with Doctor Rizal and Arch-Bishop Adam were postponed as they were busy with their respective work, especially with Doctor Rizal. He and his team are currently on a mission to help the doctors to contain an outbreak in the town of Rio Tuba on the Island of Palawan.
Apparently, it is a cholera outbreak caused by the consumption of contaminated water by the inhabitants. The outbreak already claimed the lives of 16 individuals and the whole community is now under strict monitoring. The news about the cholera outbreak in the town of Rio Tuba on the island of Palawan reaches the ears of my father who later ordered a relief operation on the island's inhabitants.
The outbreak causes some panic in the neighbouring towns of Rio Tuba, fearing for the outbreak to reach their respective communities. This is why, to ease the panics of the people, my father, Aunt Haimi, and I, set sails to the Island by the 24th of October to face the locals and give them a sense of hope and assurance. We set sail using the BEB (Barko ng Emperyo ng Butuan [Ship of the Empire of Butuan]) Charan I, one of the fastest warships in the Imperial Navy of Butuan.
This is one of our duties as working royals in this country, which is being funded by the government. Aside from the money I and my family receive from the estates we personally owned and the imperial duchies, the government, under the Imperial grants, provides us with some allowances to fund our different official duties.
Upon our arrival on the Island on the 25th of October, we were welcomed by a mob of cameras and people patiently waiting for our arrival. Dress in their simple-looking sonmin's, the inhabitants of the Island are happily waving at us and others are crying while bowing and curtsying in our presence while me, my father, and my aunt, are shaking their hands while asking about their current well-being.
We stayed on the island for almost a week. We did a lot of things in there. We visited the communities that surround the affected town of Rio Tuba, participated in relief good giving in the area, visited the military facility on the island for some inspection, and we even went to the facility where they are closely monitoring the patient. It was a horrible scene to behold. Human faeces and vomits scatter the entire area mixed whit the foul smell of decomposing faeces. I almost vomited my guts a few minutes after arriving at the facility.
Seeing the horrible situation that is plaguing the patients, I then requested to talk to Doctor Rizal before we head back to the capital. Instructing him on the proper way of treating the patients during and after the outbreak. I even told him that the entire area must be maintained clean at all times and a good hygiene must be encourage. This was then accepted by Doctor Rizal after I have answered few of his questions regarding the actions to be done.
My action in prompting the advancement in the world of medicine might have a huge impact on this world's timeline. Changing this world's timeline, much like how I introduce the aeroplanes in advance. But I have no choice, I would rather change the timeline than have my own people suffer this horrible condition that 1896 medicine could not provide. And just after that, a week came to an end and we headed home.
A few days after our return, I then received a private telegraph from my tutor, who is still on the Island since the outbreak is still continuing, thanking me for giving him some instructions regarding the outbreak as the situation in the area is now slowly improving. He even told me that he will be including this method in his next book, which I welcomed with open arms as this will be a huge leap in the world of medicine.
By the 3rd of November 1896, the official delegates for the discussion regarding the terms and conditions of the alliance between Siam and Butuan have arrive at the capital by ship. The delegates consisted of Siamese ministers, Prince Damrong Rajanubhab, brother of King Rama V, and the current heir to the throne of Siam, Crown Prince Vajiravudh of Siam. They were welcomed by our entire family, Prime Minister Emilio Aguinaldo, and the ambassador of Siam to Butuan, เอกอัครราชทูต (pronounced as ek-khra-khor-rat-thoo) [Ambassador] Wichai Suriyawongse at the port in Manapa.
A musical band and dancers of the traditional dancing of the Empire welcome the arriving delegates. A welcoming speech was made by my father, expressing his utmost delight to welcome the Siamese delegates along with two royal princes in the empire, to the crowds of people present at the event. A response was then delivered by Prince Damrong Rajanubhab, expressing his positive outlook for the whole duration of their stay in the country.
Good thing I knew how to speak in Thai as Crown Prince Vajiravudh of Siam, who is 5 years older than me, and I manages to have a short conversation with each other. After the short welcome ceremony, we then all went back to the imperial complex to have Prince Damrong and Crown Prince Vajiravudh take the same rest in their quarters at the Mansion of Tessa, just a few rooms after Prince Yeong's room.
Speaking of Prince Yeong, it appears to be that he and my sister are now super close with each other, to the point that they would play together without my younger brother. My sister has been already introduced to some customs in the royal court of Joseon while subsequently learning the Korean language. Prince Yeong on the other hand continues his daily studies adding the subject of learning the Butuanon language.
"I hear Jerusalem bells a-ringin'
Roman Cavalry choirs are singin'
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can't explain
I know Saint Peter won't call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world…"
As I finish the song, a clapping sound enters my ears which made me flinch and search for the origin of the claps. Only to see a clapping Crown Prince Vajiravudh, standing next to the door of the music room.
Crown Prince Vajiravudh, was born on January 1, 1881, in Bangkok, Siam. With an average height and build for a 15-year-old. Had a dark hair and eyes, and fair skin. No wonder he is often described as being handsome and intelligent by diplomats from Siam.
He is the son of the current King and Queen of Siam, King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) and Queen Saovabha Phongsri. He is currently the Crown Prince of Siam after the death of his brother, Crown Prince Maha Vajirunhis, last year because of typhoid fever.
"Khun tham chan dtok jai Wachirayudh (You scared me, Vajiravudh.)" I said while glaring at him as he laughingly takes his walk towards me.
"Hahahaha! khor toh na, Siagu( Hahahaha! Sorry about that, Siagu.)" He said as he takes a sit on a cushion beside the piano "So, what song is that? It sounded nice and jolly. It was unlike the songs that I heard in the Royal palace." He inquired while displaying an excited emotion.
He is currently wearing a long-sleeved and button-down white linen shirt, tucked into his loosely-fit black cotton trousers, held up by a belt. He is also wearing sandals made out of leather and had a simple design and is being held on by leather straps. While a traditional Thai vest called Krabi made of silk and decorated with gold thread is being worn over his shirt and trousers.
"Just a song that I knew. It is called Viva La Vida." I replied as I played the opening of the song.
