Yu Dynasty Yingdala (4338-4636)

[Wu Han]

Former-Chancellor Huang Zitao, 83, Dies After Battle With Cancer
Massive outpour of grief displayed across the nation at make-shift memorial sites


KAIZHOU, Jiaozhi -- After a two-year battle with prostate cancer, Former-Chancellor Huang and incumbent leader of the Lotus Party has passed away, surrounded by his family and friends. In his final days, as it became clear that the former-Chancellor likely wouldn't survive his battle with cancer, he wrote a letter to be shared with Indralans after his death:

Dear Friends,

It is clear that my treatments have not achieved the results I had hoped for, and so I'm writing this letter in the circumstance that we will not be able to speak to each other again. To other Indralans who are on journeys to defeat cancer and to live their lives: please don’t be discouraged by the outcome of my own journey. You have every reason to be optimistic, determined, and focused on the future. My only other advice is to cherish every moment with those you love at every stage of your journey, as I have done this spring.

All my life, I have worked with a humble heart to make things better for my compatriots. Never was I more inspired than during the summer of 4255 when thousands of young people stood hand-in-hand and demanded justice from the authoritarian Pua regime. I reflect on this summer almost daily. The strength and unity of all those young faces looking directly into the eye of those who sought to hinder their democratic rights shot fear into the hearts of those cynical politicians, and friends, this will continue to be true. Indrala's young people have always been at the heart of our economy, our political life, and our plans for the present and the future. When our young people are empowered, our country shines the brightest. To all of Indrala's young people, never lose hope that a better tomorrow is not possible.

To all Indralans, thank you. Thank you for allowing me to serve you, for there has been no greater honour in my life. Friends, this country is one of immense possibilities. We can be a fairer society. We can ensure a stronger future for our children. We can honour and respect our elderly. We can restore the prestige to our name in the world. As I have so often said, my greatest realization in life is that confrontation, pessimism and prejudice are not inevitable. When we trust in the collective faith and good will of all of us, the best is yet to come.

Friends, I am writing this letter in the last few months of this century; the last few days of my life. As such, I have spent much time reflecting on the upcoming century. In this next century, it is my dream that our nation is the most beautiful in the world. By this, I do not mean the most powerful nation. Because we have felt the pain of being invaded by another nation in our history, I do not want my nation to invade others. It is sufficient that our wealth makes our lives abundant; it is sufficient that our strength is able to prevent foreign invasions. The only thing that I desire in infinite quantity is the power of a noble culture. This is because the power of culture both makes ourselves happy and gives happiness to others. This necessitates the return of a Son of Heaven.

Indrala must stand to benefit all of mankind. Together, we can write this kind of history.

Friends, if I can see a future for Indrala, so can we all. And so, as always, I implore you: dream no small dreams, and do not stop dreaming until your dreams come true!

The Lotus Party recently released a statement, which read:

Today, at 6:45pm, as the sun was setting, Huang Zitao took his final breath. We could not have been proud to stand with our humble warrior for the past twenty-eight years.

Biography

Huang was born on 13 June 4215 to poor farming parents in a small village located in Jiaozhi, Indrala. Huang has 3 sisters and 2 brothers, of which he was the youngest. Huang was enrolled in He Ze Dong Public Elementary School, where he received high marks, despite many absences used to assist his parents on the farm. He was enrolled in Jiaozhi Rural Secondary School No.37 where he again received high marks, despite his many absences. In the 10th grade, Huang became President of his school at the encouragement of his teacher.

Huang was inspired to become a Lawyer by his older brother, Bohai, who died in a car accident before he could get his degree. Huang attended Kaizhou National University after his military training discharge and claims to have worked three jobs during this time to finance his tuition. Huang graduated from law school top of his class, and went on to become a criminal defense lawyer. In 4245, two years after graduation, Huang was hired to defend a number of student protesters who had been arrested and tortured for publishing pamphlets critical of President Cui Zetian and her governing Republic's Conservatives. Huang stated in a television program in 4279, "After that defense, my life was totally changed. At first, even I couldn't believe that they had been tortured that harshly. However, when I saw their horrified eyes and their missing toenails, my comfortable life as a lawyer came to an end. I was disgusted that the highest authority in our nation had been used to destroy the souls of our young people. I became a man that wanted to make a difference in the world." He became a human rights attorney after that and used his power of attorney to participate in protest marches against the various authoritarian governments which followed.

Huang was approached by the Committee for a Fresh Alternative in the spring of 4251 and was shortlisted by the organization as a potential leader of what would become the Lotus Party. The committee later selected economics professor Wu Hán to be leader of the party but offered instead the position of "Party President" to Huang, which he accepted. Huang worked to recruit organizers and candidates that would lead the Lotus Party to government, and has widely been credited with the Lotus Party's success in 4258. Huang served as Party President from the party's founding in 4252 until after the 4258 election when the Lotus Party was propelled to government. Wu offered Huang the position of Finance Minister, which he accepted.

Following the 4269 general election which saw the Lotus Party defeated in favour of a Nationalist majority, Wu Hán resigned as party leader, which initiated a leadership election. Huang Zitao was elected party leader at the Lotus Party's 4270 Hangzhou Convention after the third ballot, narrowly defeating former-Justice Minister Yi Shufen, and Party activists Linda Wong and Thao Thanh Thai.

Mobilizing his connections within Indrala's emerging cultural industries, Huang held massive electoral rallies which motivated and inspired young people across the country, earning him the nickname "The Nation's Grandfather." In 4285, Huang's Lotus Party won a minority government. During his 10 years as Chancellor, Huang ushered in major reforms which saw the Indralan economy experience major growth. Huang also faced major hurdles, such as Typhoon Yutu and the Dalibor Crisis. His handling of these situations was viewed positively by the Indralan public, but nonetheless, the Chancellor was embattled by vote-splitting on the left between the Lotus Party and the more radical NAP. This would eventually lead to Huang losing his re-election campaign in 4295. Following this, Huang instructed the Lotus Party to hold a leadership convention and planned to remain on as leader until the next leader could be elected.

Sadly, Huang would not live to see this as he lost his battle with prostate cancer two months before the convention. In his final days, Huang lived on a small duck farm outside of Kaizhou, Jiaozhi which he shared on his blog with his wife, well-known fashion designer Kim Bo-young. Huang is survived by his eldest son Huang Bohai, his daughter Huang Xia, the founder and Chairwoman of the International Children's Defence League and his youngest child, YingPop icon Huang Yao (known popularly as Yao).

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Originally posted by Wu Han on 7 November 2017.