Joaquim Augusto Barbosa de Melo - The Great Empire

- So, Uncle, have you had a chance to think about it?

- Yes, the school is one of the reasons we’re here today. Let’s talk about that later. Right now I want to give your mother some support. To tell her that, after all, life goes on. Kids can be a good reason to keep fighting. I confess that my boy’s recent arrival has brought great joy to our home. I thank heaven he has arrived well and in good health. Today, a man made, full of vigor. Isn’t that a satisfaction?!

Li’s mother sketched a little smile, for everyone’s pleasure. Since her husband’s death, the lady’s face was wasting away every day. She rarely spoke and when she articulated a word she did so with a bitter expression - of a totally shattered soul. It was already difficult to convince her that she had to eat. It was with great joy, then, that Li observed that her mother showed the first signs of hope for life! Confirmation of this fact was in itself a strong reason for satisfaction, but lunch would reveal greater surprises.

- My boy’s got a lot of projects on his hands. I therefore ask your attention to what he has to tell us! After that I will then talk about the school.

The eyes fixed on the young man, curiously, waiting for his words.

- The question is very simple. We have several trading posts spread throughout the Mediterranean, some of them with great strategic importance, such as those in Tunis, Florence and Alexandria. As we intend to open others in Asian cities, with emphasis on the commercial warehouse that we plan to install here, we need skilled people to manage all this business. Now, the school can make a good contribution in this sense. My father has some ideas on this subject, so I ask for your attention to what he has to tell us.

- In my opinion, the State has had a very restrictive stance on Education, confined to Public Administrationfunctions without taking care of other needs of the country, in particular those emerging from trade. On the other hand, it is necessary to train people who want to learn a profession without social class restrictions. From this perspective, my child is available to contribute financially to the school, especially in the training of the children of the most deprived farmers. For my part, I am open to making available the houses located near the village for the installation of the school, and also to contribute to the costs of rehabilitation.

- The ones at the village entrance? - Li asked, curious.

- Those same ones! Does that sound good?!

- An excellent location! - Li replied, with a broad smile.

- Well, it is then agreed that next week we will stop by to make a survey of the changes to be made.

Those words enlivened the lunch, which also helped for Li’s mother to have an increasingly positive attitude towards life. That fact in itself was already a great cause for satisfaction, but the revelations of her cousin gave her even more confidence in the promising future.

Six months later...

Li now proved to be a woman grateful for life and for very good reasons: the school had scheduled to start the next month; the hiring of the schoolmasters had been completed; the cousin’s commercial warehouse was running and, as if all this were not enough, financial aid to the school was guaranteed. Among the schoolmasters hired was Zeng, an acquaintance of Li since palace times, where he held public office in the State Administration at the time of the Emperor, a position which, together with his father, he abandoned following the Emperor’s death.

Zeng’s arrival in the village provided Li with news from the palace. Empress Xi was now the woman of whom much was spoken, not only because she had assumed the regency of the empire in place of the heir who was still too young to reign, but above all because of her wrong attitudes in the conduct of affairs of state. As a result, a deep uneasiness among many state cadres was installed in the palace. The old sages did not forgive the Empress for having put Zhu as their advisor - now the affairs, before being dispatched by the Empress, had to go through Zhu’s screening. This situation was unacceptable to most state leaders, who thought that in this way one day the government of the empire would inevitably fall into ruin. Among all the news brought by Zeng, one made Li curious. The Emperor made a will to donate goods, not only to relatives and nobles, but also to her. The strange thing is that after all those months, after the Emperor’s death, the palace did not inform Li that she was also heiress! For Li that situation could not go unanswered, not so much for the value of the donation, but, above all, for the appreciation Li had for the memory of the Emperor. When she learned of this situation, she informed his mother and uncle. When some time later a meeting was agreed at school between Zeng and her relatives, Li was the first to intervene.

- At that time my departure from the palace was untimely and the result of a disagreement with the present Empress. I will not recall any unpleasant details of that time, but I wish to point out that I intend to claim what belongs to me. As you can understand, I would like to not return to the presence of that “rattlesnake”, so I thank you to help me find a solution.

Li’s eyes invariably fell on Zeng, who was not indifferent.

- When I informed Li of the Emperor’s donation, I was convinced that the palace had given notice to all concerned. As you can confirm from the copy I gave to my father, Li’s name is on the list. The Emperor was a very strict and far-sighted person. He took care to indicate in the same document of appointment of the Crown Prince all donations, the respective people and goods donated, as well as to have copies made in the same number as those involved. With this he guaranteed not only the authenticity of the document, but also that all interested individuals would be aware of it.

-In your opinion, what can we do? – Li said, apprehensive.

- By Law it is always possible to claim, at any time, the donation made by the Emperor.

- Yes, but I don’t want to go there!

- It can always be done by a person to whom you have conferred full powers of representation.

- How do you do that?!

- After conferring full powers of representation on your mother, uncle, or anyone else, with the respective certificate and accompanied by the Emperor’s document, that person may withdraw the donation.

- I don’t want to expose my mother to a trip like this; I’d prefer that the person to go was you, uncle, if you’re available.

- You have my support! We’ll handle the necessary documentation with Zeng’s help, if that’s okay.

- I am available, not only for the power of attorney, but also to go to the palace, if you wish, of course!

Her uncle’s and Zeng’s willingness to represent Li in the claim for the donation was a great emotional relief for her - a new meeting with the Empress was out of the question. The words of anger and hatred spoken that morning by Xi were still fresh in her mind - although she still couldn’t find a single reason for it, she would never forget that scene!

Days later...

In the palace, Zeng and Li’s uncle awaited the audience requested from the Empress. The request once again had to be conveyed through Zhu, to whom the Empress delegated much of the matter. When he explained to her the reasons for that request for a hearing, she was left in a very bad mood. She too remembered with intensity the moments experienced on the morning of her marriage. In spite of the long time elapsed, the Empress retained in her memory, still very present, the image of her veil reduced to strips and the anger that she had felt for such ignoble act, for which her reaction was not made to wait.

- I don’t want to receive those people, let alone resolve matters of this “Li”!