Pohang is a character from Isaac Asimov's Empire series.
About Pohang[]
Pohang was a noble of the Tyranni Empire, holding a position of elevated rank within the Khan's court. His significance in galactic affairs stems from his desire to marry Artemisia oth Hinriad, the daughter of the Rhodian Director Hinrik V. Commissioner Simok Aratap saw this proposed union as a strategically advantageous political arrangement. It would further bind the Hinriad Dynasty of Rhodia to the Tyranni Empire through familial ties, ensuring loyalty and stability without the need for continued military oversight.
The marriage was presented not as a request but as an expectation, with Aratap stating that a noble of Pohang's status "desired to marry her" and that this fact would be taken into account when considering her fate. The arrangement was treated as a state matter, with Artemisia's personal consent being politically irrelevant as her father had already granted permission.
Ultimately, the marriage did not proceed. The intervention of Biron Farrill, who himself wished to marry Artemisia, provided Commissioner Aratap with a rationale to cancel the arrangement. Aratap reasoned that a powerful courtier like Pohang wanting to marry into a prominent family of a subject world could be motivated by personal ambition and might even lead a rebellion himself someday. Preferring to avoid creating a potential rival, and personally disliking Pohang, Aratap decided to find another woman for him, allowing Artemisia to marry Biron Farrill instead.
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