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Zhu Bolin: Difference between revisions
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| nickname = ''Child Admiral'' | | nickname = ''Child Admiral''<br>''Victor of the Crag'' | ||
| allegiance = [[File:Daxiaia_Flag.png|25px]] [[Daxia|Qian dynasty]] | | allegiance = [[File:Daxiaia_Flag.png|25px]] [[Daxia|Qian dynasty]] | ||
| branch = [[Daxian Armed Forces|Qian Fleet]] | | branch = [[Daxian Armed Forces|Qian Fleet]] | ||
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The stratagem worked as the Arakan massed their forces in the slopes of the Eastern Crag and sent messengers to challenge him to approach, as was their custom. Zhu Bolin had the messengers killed and decapitated, tying their heads to their horses and sending them back. The Arakan had their backs to the Crag so retreat would not be easily accomplished other than through narrow and winding tunnels on the mountainside. The Qian army only had four cannons left, the rest had been lost to the jungle, the mud and rust; still they were put to good use now with the cannons being loaded with grapeshot. The Arakan army suffered terrible casualties from the grapeshot but charged across the broken terrain to come to grips with the [[Daxia]]ns. As the battle lines smashed together, the mass of eighty thousand Arakan tribesmen threatened to buckle the smaller [[Daxia]]n frontline. Zhu then unleashed his cannons again and directed them to fire against the back of the enemy lines to obstruct a retreat over the piling bodies of the dead. The Qian battle elephants painstakingly dragged along all of [[Peratra]] were now put to use alongside the kennel of domesticated war hyaenas, creatures the Arakan had never seen before and against which they now quaked. The frenetic baying of the hyaenas especially unnerved the Arakan and the noise of the cannons and the elephants began to cause a panicked rout. From the Qian side thundered the trumpets calling for a general advance and the Arakan were chased back to the ridge they had started at, stumbling over the bodies of the dead. The army began trying to squeeze itself away through the tunnels with the Qian in pursuit. Zhu Bolin himself descended into the caves on foot and exhausting fighting in the caves took place until nightfall. The battle of Daxiang can be said to have had two phases, the first battle on the plain and the second one in the caves of the Crag. The Arakan rallied several times out of desperation and lacking avenues of real escape through dark tunnels, entire groups of men getting lost never to be seen again or falling to their deaths in unseen sudden drops and frigid pools. Zhu Bolin's hyaenas were put to good use smelling out the Arakan and savaging them to pieces until finally two entire days later those Arakan who had not managed to escape surrendered to the Qian force. | The stratagem worked as the Arakan massed their forces in the slopes of the Eastern Crag and sent messengers to challenge him to approach, as was their custom. Zhu Bolin had the messengers killed and decapitated, tying their heads to their horses and sending them back. The Arakan had their backs to the Crag so retreat would not be easily accomplished other than through narrow and winding tunnels on the mountainside. The Qian army only had four cannons left, the rest had been lost to the jungle, the mud and rust; still they were put to good use now with the cannons being loaded with grapeshot. The Arakan army suffered terrible casualties from the grapeshot but charged across the broken terrain to come to grips with the [[Daxia]]ns. As the battle lines smashed together, the mass of eighty thousand Arakan tribesmen threatened to buckle the smaller [[Daxia]]n frontline. Zhu then unleashed his cannons again and directed them to fire against the back of the enemy lines to obstruct a retreat over the piling bodies of the dead. The Qian battle elephants painstakingly dragged along all of [[Peratra]] were now put to use alongside the kennel of domesticated war hyaenas, creatures the Arakan had never seen before and against which they now quaked. The frenetic baying of the hyaenas especially unnerved the Arakan and the noise of the cannons and the elephants began to cause a panicked rout. From the Qian side thundered the trumpets calling for a general advance and the Arakan were chased back to the ridge they had started at, stumbling over the bodies of the dead. The army began trying to squeeze itself away through the tunnels with the Qian in pursuit. Zhu Bolin himself descended into the caves on foot and exhausting fighting in the caves took place until nightfall. The battle of Daxiang can be said to have had two phases, the first battle on the plain and the second one in the caves of the Crag. The Arakan rallied several times out of desperation and lacking avenues of real escape through dark tunnels, entire groups of men getting lost never to be seen again or falling to their deaths in unseen sudden drops and frigid pools. Zhu Bolin's hyaenas were put to good use smelling out the Arakan and savaging them to pieces until finally two entire days later those Arakan who had not managed to escape surrendered to the Qian force. | ||
The Arakan tribes were exhausted from the war and were offered fairly lenient terms, Zhu Bolin demanded the restoration of [[Tributary system of Imperial Daxia|tribute]] by the Arakan, the turning over of any firearms they still possessed and the surrender of hostages from every tribe. In a show of what he called 'Daxian magnanimity' Zhu Bolin even forwent taking the rebel chiefs to [[Rakahanga|Rakin]] and parading them before the populace so there would be 'no hard feelings'. | The Arakan tribes were exhausted from the war and were offered fairly lenient terms, Zhu Bolin demanded the restoration of [[Tributary system of Imperial Daxia|tribute]] by the Arakan, the turning over of any firearms they still possessed and the surrender of hostages from every tribe; those Arakan taken prisoner in the course of the war would not be released, they would be sold as slaves instead. In a show of what he called 'Daxian magnanimity' Zhu Bolin even forwent taking the rebel chiefs to [[Rakahanga|Rakin]] and parading them before the populace so there would be 'no hard feelings'. Zhu Bolin was hailed as the ''Victor of the Crag'' and savior of the colonies on [[Peratra]]. Having covered himself in glory, Zhu Bolin returned to the imperial court in 1675, now an aging dwarf of sixty in poor health. He petitioned to be allowed to retire in his birthplace of [[Touxian]] with the hereditary rank of Baron of [[Touxian]], a request that was quickly granted; the high courtiers judged it better to give the ambitious dwarf a title in the poor interior rather than a position on the rich colonies. | ||
===Later life=== | ===Later life=== | ||
[[File:A32.jpg|thumb|Painting of the Cloud Palace of [[Touxian]]]] | |||
As he claimed at court, Zhu Bolin in effect retired to [[Touxian]] and used his fortune to build himself a magnificent abode in the town that he named the Cloud Palace, most of the structure was made of highly ornate marble and the roofs were covered in light blue lapis giving it a celestial look. He lived there alone with [[Mala Jong]] and his many other slaves, his status as an eunuch made having a wife a pointless endeavor. During the last years of his life, the eunuch baron dedicated his time and resources to turning [[Touxian]] into a prosperous merchant town. He funded the construction of sanitation facilities such as bathhouses, cesspits and outhouses. The streets of downtown Touxian were laid with brick and mortar instead of packed dirt, greatly reducing respiratory diseases in the population. He brought hardy quince trees from [[Peratra]] which took easily in the climate of the region, the production of quince quickly paid handsome dividends to the city. To this day the city is home to numerous companies producing quince fruit brandy and quince paste candies, the Touxian Quince Pie recipe was invented in the city. | |||
Zhu's lack of children put the future of his titles in uncertainty of who could inherit them. He decided against seeking out any living relatives of his, reasoning that strangers he had no connection with had no right to his wealth and position. Instead he decided on a very controversial option, he freed his dwarf manservant, the albino eunuch [[Mala Jong]] and then, through a very large bribe had him officialy declared a Daxian. He then adopted him as his lawful son and heir. Zhu Bolin died in 1682 from an overgrown boil in his head, the line of dwarf barons of [[Touxian]] would continue uninterrupted for another 250 years. | |||
[[Category:Daxia]] | [[Category:Daxia]] | ||
[[Category:Dwarfs]] | [[Category:Dwarfs]] | ||
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