Minister Sheng is an official of the Ministry of Harmony. He is first encountered him in Tien's Landing, the town he has been appointed to govern and has a central role to the main quests there. He is later found in the Imperial City, where he potentially has a role in another important quest.
Sheng is actually quite senior in the Ministry, being second only to Judge Fang, but has been dispatched to a small and remote district in what Sheng claims is an attempt to stifle his career. He is very concerned with his status and dignity, as he frequently laments the misfortunes which have been heaped upon him, particularly the fact that he has been sent away from the Imperial City to a backwater town. He keeps a chronicle of the various indignities he believes have been inflicted upon him, which can be found outside what remains of his office. The people of Tien's Landing seem to have mixed views on him, as he is not generally seen as a successful leader, but many still believe that he is doing the best he can and that he is not a fundamentally bad person.
Tien's Landing[]
When Player arrive in Tien's Landing, Sheng is upset about the various problems that the town is experiencing. The opening of the Great Dam has made trade impossible and stranded many increasingly rowdy sailors in port, while the pirates of Gao the Greater are menacing the area and enslaving people. Besides the obvious damage to the town, the problems also threaten Sheng's career and status. Player is directed to Sheng by Yeung Yifong, who mentions both the problem with the dam (beginning Quest: The Great Dam) and the fact that the pirates are using flyers (beginning Quest: Find a New Flyer).
Sheng sees the arrival of the Player as an opportunity to solve the problem of the dam. He confides that it was opened by the Lotus Assassins on the orders of Inquisitor Lim, who is searching the ruins previously concealed by the dam's lake for something. This ties into Quest: Hui the Brave. Sheng cannot openly defy the Lotus Assassins, but nevertheless decides to act against them by sending the Player to close the dam again (which would drown any Assassins searching in the ruins). He "accidentally" drops a key which grants access to the ruins into the Player's pack, telling them to "go close the Great Dam, and I never said that." Sheng is somewhat less concerned about the pirates, but suggests that if the Player is looking for a way to reach the island on which they are based, Ru the Boatswain "might be mad enough" to provide passage.
If Player solve the problem of the Great Dam satisfactorily, Minister Sheng is delighted, and is convinced that he will soon be able to return to the Imperial City. He is also pleased if Player is able to put an end to Gao the Greater's pirates and will further reward the Player if they rescue two slaves from the island (Quest: Yifong and Fuyao) in the process.
Imperial City[]
Minister Sheng goes to the Imperial City at much the same time as the Player, delivering his report and hoping to be given an assignment in the capital rather than having to return to Tien's Landing. He is quartered in a Ministry hostel in the Golden Way, although the quality of the facility leaves something to be desired. Player is only be able to speak to him, however, if they receive Quest: The Inquisitors, one of the two possible quests undertaken to infiltrate the Lotus Assassins.
The Inquisitors are worried that Minister Sheng's report to his superior, Judge Fang, will be damaging to the Lotus Assassins and therefore task the Player with preventing the report from being delivered. This can be done by removing either Judge Fang or Minister Sheng from the picture, depending on the Player's choice; one of them must be either disgraced (the preferred option of the Inquisitors) or simply killed. Player is able to trick Sheng into giving Fang an insulting gift (turtle eggs), thereby ensuring that he will be dismissed with his report unheard or else can just attack Sheng. If, on the other hand, Player somehow remove Judge Fang, Minister Sheng will be elevated to take his place and the Inquisitors, apparently not knowing or not caring about Sheng's attempts to thwart and possibly down Inquisitor Lim, are pleased with this development, believing that Sheng will be easier to control than Fang.
Trivia[]
- Voiced by George Szilagyi