Of Tyrants and Men

By Manzi

The first Emperor of China, Emperor Qin,

Told Meng Tian, his commanding general:

General, I think I’m going to die

And soon be put away,

but before I go I have a plan.

The world will know me as

the greatest Emperor this world will ever see.

I’ll be buried with a proud retinue,

from Generals to all my foot-soldiers,

unto eternity we’ll all go!

You too my proud loyal general,

you won’t be long forgotten

No!

,But long remembered too!

The general thought,

The Emperor -he’s certainly mad

with this petulant glamor.

What on this earth can we do?

We must foil this mega-maniacal scheme,

a ruse to bemuse, a game to play?

For this ill fortune we must eschew.

Wise men, priest, artisan, and soldiers

conferred in secret absolute.

On one miserable eve,

devised a plan to snatch Qin’s day away.

They thought and sought

for an ideal plot 

and finally the answer was clear.

 Appeal to his vanity and he’ll do as we tell him.

The general and his ministers cheered.

To Qin

They told him:

Great One,

You have joined together our unruly lands

from the blood of the people for our motherland.

It is vitally clear you must not fear,

you will live throughout eternity.

But not with the bones of man,

you must have something

more lasting.

Our priests and healers assure

For you they have certainly found the cure.

To spare your Highness from death

-for you and your fortuitous treasures at hand, 

We won’t entomb you with mere mortal rotting man.

For you will never die,

           but an enchanted city we’ll build.

You’ll see.

…Assiduous undertaking, a city they built

to satisfy the crazed Qin.

They built life-size life-like

retinue and contigents.

Men and horses they made from clay

replete with real weapons drawn

to protect and to slay

eenemies old and new.

In chariots, the Emperor was told how they flew.

Would eternally-forever protect and pursue.

In this city made from gold,

precious sparkling jewels they put

in a ceiling way up high to show the firmament.

The city’s rivers were made from glistening mercury.

They so wisely assured their liege,

“You must drink.”

An elixir they made from the same.

They made for him, then to him they gave

the potent potion to imbibe

that would surely prolong his life.

Well he drank the drink,

so he thought to impart

The Crown of Immortality.

Esteemed he’d be

surely he thought

throughout eternity.

The mercury was true, he died before due

and was buried according to plan.

His armies were spared, a new Emperor enthroned.