Póo Mín Tsetli

Póo Mín Tsetli (23 March 931 – 19 July 1004) was the first queen (Énqutsa: Sémútli) of the Second Kingdom of Énqusqó, reigning from 957 until her death in 1004. After conquering the neighbouring Kingdom of Tsétlaxó during the War of Flowers at the age of 23, she united the thrones of both her father and her betrothed under one crown. At her coronation in 958, she took on the title of Shémútli after the famous king of the mythic First Kingdom of Énqusqó to bolster her legitimacy to dominion over all peoples of the Énqusqan peninsula. She is considered one of the greatest rulers in history, having implemented numerous political, cultural, legal and military reforms that still shape the world in the modern-day. She commissioned the designs for the Palace of Whispers which would eventually become the University of Tsétlaxó, the oldest educational institution in the world. Whilst the palace wasn't completed in her lifetime it brought great wealth and prestige to the city of Tsétlaxó. She also fostered early forms of the urbocentrist political ideology which would later inspire some of Acoul Noyon's writings, the Republic of Énqusqó and the World Forum.

Early life
Póo Mín Tsetli was born in the Butterfly Palace in Cílonyósqu on the 23rd March 931. She was the sole issue of her father La Mín Tún of the Mín Kingdom, although she was not named heir to her father's kingdom until later in her life. Her Promise was sworn on the 27th March 931. Quite unusually for a woman in her era, large portions of Póo Mín Tsetli's childhood was recorded by the royal chroniclers of Mín. Her father, La Mín Tún, had sought to involve the girl in politics from a young age due to a long standing dispute with his brother La Mín Zu. Several poems describe the young princess being groomed to rule by her father after a violent dispute with his brother in 939. After this, Póo Mín Tsetli was named her heir to the Kingdom of Mín, the first recorded female to ever be named heir of a Kingdom in recorded Énqutsa history. Her education was changed to include facets taught to both females and males in Énqutsa high society to reflect her historic role. The subjects she was said to enjoy most were history, foreign languages, poetry, politics, economics, warfare and naval strategy.

By age 15 she had been involved in several naval battles during her father's campaigns to expand along the coast. She also proved crucial in preventing a war with the neighbouring expansionist Kingdom of Xyóo, through a tactical betrothal of herself to the Xyóo heir. Although contemporary and later sources suggest she was reluctant towards this plan of action, primarily because of the threat it posed to her succession.

In her early 20s she lead a trade expedition around the Kidal Sea, becoming renowned as an experienced naval captain, having crushed several pirate incursions that were threatening the Mín trade routes. She became a trusted advisor to her father and one of his closest aides towards the end of his reign.

War of Flowers
The War of Flowers is considered one of the most important wars in Énqusqan history. The conflict was centred around Póo Mín Tsetli's betrothal to Muú Xyóo Tín. It was well established tradition that any children from this marriage would belong to the Xyóo clan, effectively ending the kingdom of Mín and placing its controlled territories under the jurisdiction of the Xyóo clan. This posed a serious threat to her claim to the throne of Mín.

After the death of her father on 12th May 954, a succession crisis consumed the kingdoms of Mín and Xyóo. The nature of La Mín Tún's death was considered suspicious by contemporaries and Póo Mín tsetli declared that he had been assassinated by agents of Muú Xyóo Tín - although there is no conclusive evidence to support her stance. Póo Mín Tsetli was popular with both the Mín military and navy and by levering their support and the apparent attack against her father she was able to launch the kingdom into war without ever ascending to her father's throne.

Several smaller kingdoms around the Narícan peninsula joined the war on both sides. The majority of battles during the war were naval with very few land based advances being made. Póo Mín Tsetli's experience in both naval, amphibious and land-based warfare proved vital to her success during the war. Although suffering some losses under her admirals, she didn't lose a single conflict under her direct command over the full course of the war.

The main component of the three year long war was the siege of Tsétlaxó which lasted for over a year from July 956 to November 957, with the final six months of the siege taking place solely around the palatial complex.

The war concluded in a Mín victory and for his crimes against her father, Póo Mín Tsetli beheaded her betrothed from atop the Grand Pyramid, famously throwing his corpse off the cliffs into the sea.

Unification
After eliminating the external threats to her succession, Póo Mín Tsetli still had the internal threat of civil war from claimants to the throne of Mín. Although her uncle had died two years prior to her father, her cousins still had strong claims they could press. Póo Mín Tsetli made two moves to counter this. First, she became engaged to her eldest cousin Va Mín Motsú to strengthen her claim, although they wouldn't get married until 959.

Second, she dissolved the thrones of Mín and Xyóo and declared herself ruler of a new kingdom styled as a restoration of the mythic Kingdom of Énqusqó - historians however, refer to her kingdom as the Second Kingdom of Énqusqó. Alongside some of her most loyal supporters, particularly the King of Pú, she began to create a new form of kingdom based on her studies of early urbocentrist philosophy, particularly using the Tsétlaxó senate as a model to allow the many smaller kingdoms that supported and opposed her during the War of Flowers to maintain authority whilst being subject under her rule. This allowed the many cities under her rule to have representation in the Imperial Senate.

Coronation
The coronation of Póo Mín Tsetli took place on 14th December 1958. The ceremony took place in the Kingdom's new capital of Tsétlaxó atop the Grand Pyramid. The Royal Flower Garden below the pyramid was purported filled with cheering spectators waving banners of bright purples, reds and greens.