Chapter 19 - The Eternal Power
After twelve months, one full cycle of the seasons, the carriage arrived as normal. The Emperor's son rushed out of the carriage and over to Huo who was waiting outside his house. He went straight to Huo and wrapped his arms around the Sage's neck and gave him a hug. Looking from the carriage the Emperor's wife Empress Li was shocked at the informality. Stepping down from the carriage she was about to make a comment when she recognized that Huo was the young man who had saved the life of her son years before. Any thought of punishment or reprimand fell away as she knew that her son was in the safest of hands.
The boy rushed into the old house to get his writing implements to start his days study, not even caring to say goodbye to his mother.
Huo smiled and gave a short bow to the Empress.
"It should me bowing to you," she said, "For not only did you save the life of my son Heng, but now you are teaching him things I could only dream about. In the year he has been coming to you he has come back a calmer and kinder person."
"The boy has done all the work himself empress, I have been there only to guide him on his way. He has learnt very quickly to connect with his own inner power and when the day comes he will make a great leader."
The boy returned with his writing implements. "I am ready."
His excitement was palpable, which made the Empress and Huo both laugh.
"Heng, said the Empress, "Go and wait my son the sage will be with you in a moment."
The young boy walked the short distance to the Lake of Li and waited for the sage to appear. While he waited he practiced the martial art techniques that the sage had given him; techniques which were never meant to be used in anger, but techniques which would increase the connection to the boy's inner self and allow the power stored there to come up from within.
While he was waiting Huo and the Empress talked like old friends, discussing the training of her son, matters of the court and the beauty of nature. It was Huo who brought up the beauty of nature because he could see in the Empress a deep sadness and he hoped, looking at and talking about the beauty of the natural world would allow her some beauty in her own life.
The young sage sent a molecule into the Empress, not as an infringement, but to try an understand more about her sadness. He was not going to infringe by asking her directly, but if the beauty of nature allowed a space where she could open up to him then he would help her in anyway he could. He was going to teach her son about using his internal power, so it seemed only natural for the Tao to offer him an opportunity to practice connecting with his own inner power; so that he could speak from a sense of knowing.
When the molecule of feeling returned he could sense that there was trouble with the Emperor. What the trouble was he did not pry further. It was enough that she had difficulty. He turned slightly using only his peripheral vision and he could see that her aura was all over the place and it some areas it looked quite grimy and dark. He immediately sent her energy from within himself; not to fix her problem, but to offer extra energy for a moment to help her deal with it. He understood the wonderful energy of the Tao was not about pushing yourself onto others but allowing them a space to pull them towards you. Although the word pull was not correct; it was more that as your energy grew others were drawn to it.
The Empress sighed very deeply. A sigh so deep that it could be heard and felt by the animals and other beings in the forest. Huo looked around to see energy coming from the trees, plants, animals and unseen beings of the forest into the heart of the Empress.
Huo led the Empress next to an old tree and asked her to sit with her back against it. She gave him a confused look, but trusted him enough to follow his instructions.
The moment her back touched the tree she sensed a rush of energy race through her body and in a few seconds she was calmer and could see more clearly than she had in years.
The sage sat quietly with her as she allowed the tears to escape from her eyes. Next came the sobs as her heart opened to the energy it had received from the Forest of K'an. While her heart was open she could see the problems with the Emperor; they were nothing to do with his love for her which was as strong as ever. The problem lay in the Empire itself, for the Emperor had to decide whether to fight with the people of the north or agree to a peace pact, which would not only see his power diminished, but also cost his people financially.
The sage could see all this. He could also see both futures through his own inner feelings as each future had an energy to it. He sent the light of the Tao from his own heart directly into the heart of the Empress. She experienced another great rush of energy and in that moment she saw the answer to the Emperor's problems. She knew that she could not tell her husband what to do, but a women has ways of influencing that a man will never know. Being closer to the Tao a woman finds it easier to connect with her own inner power, the power to pull to you what you need.
Huo watched as her aura changed from dark and grimy to clear and tighter around her body. She no longer needed the power from him and the forest and these were withdrawn without a change in her energy. Her energy was no longer blocked and she was naturally drawing her energy from that place deep within where it is available for anyone who is open to it.
After a little encouragement from his wife to meditate on his problems the Emperor went within and visualized the problem, only to discover that it was not a problem but a greater opportunity for his people and the generations to come. By not going with the thoughts of the Ego, but by going deep into his inner-self he allowed his higher self to show him the opportunity that lay before him.
History may not be kind to him but his dynasty lasted over a thousand years and his people were well fed and well educated; he made changes only a wise man could have made, for he understood the power of non-action. A power that most men never get to understand, but a power of infinite energy.
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