The Poppy War, #2
The Dragon Republic
by R. F. Kuang
Contents
Chapter 9
Overview
Rin enters the Autumn Palace as Vaisra’s sedated “prisoner,” witnessing a fractured council under Daji. Daji isolates Rin, attempts to recruit and mentally overpower her, but Chaghan intervenes. Ramsa’s explosives ignite chaos; in the council melee Jun wounds Vaisra. Suni and Baji extract him, Aratsha ferries them out, and Nezha’s Seagrim escapes, effectively starting open war.
Summary
Rin arrives at the Autumn Palace posing as Vaisra’s shackled, opium-dulled prisoner, while the Cike infiltrate via waterways as contingency. Inside, Warlords debate refugees and famine, revealing a paralyzed Empire. Daji keeps Rin in the chamber to watch the dysfunction, then orders her to a cell and instead leads her through secret tunnels to a hidden garden.
Alone, Daji removes Rin’s muzzle, stalls for time, and tries to sway her with history of Hesperian humiliation and a justification for sacrificing provinces to avoid total conquest. When Rin reaches for a weapon, Daji paralyzes her and presses harder: abandon Vaisra’s republic, serve the Empire, and learn true control over the gods.
They clash in the spirit plane as Nüwa confronts the Phoenix, battering Rin with illusions of Speer and Altan. Chaghan pierces the duel, names Nüwa, and forces her back with an incantation. Wrenched to reality, Chaghan triggers Ramsa’s planted charges; explosions cascade through the palace, buying them a narrow window to escape.
Rin races to the council room where guards swarm the scattered Warlords. She joins Baji and Suni. Vaisra duels Jun and the Wolf Meat General; Chang En falls, but Jun drives a blade through Vaisra’s shoulder. Suni hauls Vaisra out while Baji guards their retreat. Rin leads them to a well and plunges underground.
Aratsha propels their group through the irrigation tunnels to the river. Onshore, Nezha, Eriden, and guards meet them; Rin confirms Vaisra lives if treated quickly. As the Seagrim casts off, Rin tells Nezha the coup has lit the fuse: they have started a war.
Who Appears
- Rin (Fang Runin)Infiltrates the Autumn Palace as a sedated prisoner, resists Daji’s manipulation, survives a mind-duel with Nüwa, and leads the escape.
- Su Daji (The Empress)Presides over a fractured council, isolates Rin, attempts recruitment and psychic domination, revealing reliance on control over Warlords.
- Vaisra (Dragon Warlord)Leads the coup attempt; duels Jun and Chang En; is wounded in the shoulder and extracted by the Cike.
- ChaghanIntervenes on the spirit plane, repels Nüwa, and triggers Ramsa’s bombs to cover the escape.
- SuniFights in the council chamber and carries the wounded Vaisra to safety.
- BajiBattles guards outside and inside the council room, tackles Jun, and shields the retreat.
- RamsaPre-plants explosives; his signature bombs devastate the palace and enable escape.
- AratshaMaintains underwater air bubbles and pilots the team through irrigation tunnels to the river.
- NezhaReceives the escapees at the river and orders the Seagrim’s urgent departure.
- Master Jun (Loran Jun)Denounces Rin, then duels Vaisra in the council room and wounds his shoulder.
- Chang En (Wolf Meat General)Horse Warlord bandit; fights Vaisra and is disarmed and felled during the melee.
- EridenEscorts Rin as a guard to the council; later helps secure the Seagrim’s escape.
- Gong Takha (Rooster Warlord)Observes Rin with wary curiosity; shelters during the council chamber chaos.
- Ox WarlordArgues over refugees and resources; skeptical of Rin’s usefulness.
- Hare WarlordComplains of flooding and shortages; panics during the battle.
- Young Tiger WarlordChild ruler dominated by Jun’s faction; cowers amid the fighting.
- Ang TsolinSilent observer at the council; notes lack of progress before recess.