ENG
A foolish son, a clever father,
One plans ahead, the other rather.
On the battlefield, no room for kin,
The cunning father flees, leaving his son within.
The Kingdom of Flowing Sands had three princes of the royal line.
The eldest prince, favored by the king, was a renowned warrior for his valor in the battles against the Fuban. He was granted the title of Valiant General. But later, a shadow darkened his mind, clouding his reason and erasing his memories of his kin. Thus, he was hidden away.
The king was heartbroken. Luckily, two of his sons yet remained.
The third prince, the youngest and the king's most trusted, was well-versed in poetry and deeply fond of Buddhist teachings. He possessed both wisdom and strength. However, when the king issued the Rodent Reverence Edict and executed those ministers who opposed it, the third prince left in protest. Wrath consumed the king, but one of his sons still remained.
The second prince, though a man of great strength, was simple of mind. He was neither as skilled a warrior as his elder brother nor as clever as his younger sibling. Of the three sons, he was the least favored by the king. Nevertheless, he remained by the king's side the longest.
When the Yellow Wind Sage retrieved a mighty vessel and returned, the King of Flowing Sands rallied to his banner with what remained of his people, hoping to reclaim his lost kingdom. The Yellow Wind Sage, short on men, saw the fierce spirit in the second prince and welcomed him and his followers into his ranks.
But the Yellow Wind Sage had a Tiger Vanguard, whose hunger for rat flesh required a fresh feast each day. When the Yellow Wind Sage retreated into his meditating seclusion, the tiger grew even bolder. Only the savage might of the second prince's hammer could give him pause from time to time.
Much did the second prince sacrifice for his father the king, yet through all the perils and hardships they endured, the King of Flowing Sands never failed to bring the eldest prince with him and continuously sent minions to seek out the youngest. What thoughts dwelled in the heart of the second son, none could say.
The story opens with a short warning: it contrasts a foolish son and a clever father and says that in war there is no special protection for family — the clever parent can plan to save himself while leaving his child exposed. That couplet sets the tone for the events that follow in the Kingdom of Flowing Sands.
The kingdom had three princes. The oldest was a celebrated warrior, honored as the Valiant General for fighting the Fuban. Later something went terribly wrong in his mind: a shadow clouded his reason and he lost memory of his family. Because of that, he was hidden away, which broke the king’s heart.
The youngest prince was the king’s most trusted son. He loved poetry and Buddhist teachings and had both wisdom and strength. But the king issued the Rodent Reverence Edict and executed ministers who opposed it. The youngest prince protested this by leaving, which enraged the king, so only one son remained with him.
That remaining son is the second prince. He was physically strong but simple-minded and the least favored by the king. He stayed by his father the longest. When the Yellow Wind Sage returned with a great vessel, the king joined the sage hoping to win back his kingdom. The sage needed fighters, saw the second prince’s fierce spirit, and accepted him and his followers into his ranks.
Within the sage’s forces was a Tiger Vanguard that demanded a daily feast of rat flesh. When the Yellow Wind Sage withdrew into meditation, the tiger grew bolder, and only the second prince’s hammer could sometimes check it. Through many dangers and sacrifices the second prince served his father, while the king kept the hidden eldest with him and kept sending agents to find the youngest. The story ends with the second prince’s loyalty clear but his inner thoughts unknown, leaving the kingdom still threatened and the family fractured.