Burden of the Emerald Empire (A Legend of the Five Rings Tale)

In another world where cabinet meetings are more like rap battles...
(Music)

Hisao:
"Ladies and Gentlemen, you could have been anywhere in the world, but you're here with me, in the capital city. The issue on the table: Treasurer Hiroko's plan to open up to the outside world. Do we do it or do we hold the line. Champion Noritoshi, you have the floor"

Noritsohi:
"Emperor, honour, culture, history, we fought for these things against all manner of foreign devilry. We shouldn't settle for less, don't act unimpressed. Wise samurai know that everything in ningen-do is found here in Rokugan."

"But Yoritomo regrets, or maybe just hasn't earned enough yet, to be content with bounty of heavens above, just wants to give the Phoenix another shove"

Hiroko: "Not true! "

"Oh don't deny it, the truth is in the tea leaves, or is divination another thing the Manits 'don't need'?
You want to take the world as it is and deprecate. We want to return to our august state. Don't ruin the land just because of the Mantis plan to command more koku. We already got enough to go through. If the Yoritomo are in debt why should the Empire bear it? In the Crane lands we create, art and honour with every new date. The Mantis just want to move things around like merchants, what do your heimen even do? Not planting, just ranting, wait I confused them for you..."

Emperor
"Treasurer Hiroko, your response?"

Hiroko:
"Kakita, that was real nice game of sadane you just played, do you want to return to reality? Or stay duelling your students in an empty castle? We open up we set the terms to the gaijin and gain returns.
How is it a 'sword doesn't get it? We strike first we strike last and free, with no one to debate our policy. What did your little book not right about striking first? Weird I must have got a bad copy.
A lesson on wealth from a Crane? You make money because Hantei was nice to his sister, we worked hard to overcome every disaster. Our heimen plant in the ground and the sea to see the world in prosperity...."

Hiroko steps forward
"And another thing Mr. Left Hand, you think any of us are frightened of you? I was fighting on ship for my rights while you were of making music with your wife. So don't lecture me about gaijin you've never even seen one, while I almost died from them. You think your origami crane are going to save the day? You must be madder than your mother when she stood out in that rain. The Gaijin are coming and ain't no amount of art that is so stunning to keep 'em out. So step away and let the adults have a say..."

Hisao
"Enough. Champion Noritoshi take a walk, Hiroko take a walk...we convene in 15."

AN: Perhaps not my best work, but eh it was fun. All credit for the original song Cabinet Battle goes to Lin-Manuel Miranda and company.

Infrastructure Roll= 6k3=37

Year 6 of Toturi IV's Reign, Sixth day of the Goat (Summer)

In the end you had been swayed by the arguments of Hiroko over Noritoshi and decided that establishing a proper 'Foreign Ministry' (Apparently calling it the Ministry of Barbarians would be too offensive, if accurate) would be best. In pursuit of that you had turned to your two councillors who had invested the most of themselves into this. Kakita Noritoshi and Yoritomo Hiroko, the result was...impressive, almost too impressive, the resulting tower built over the old 'Faded Chrysanthemum Inn' was designed to hold both the ministry and any foreign ambassadors that might come to call but still be outside of the palace district proper. It was rather a grand sight, given that Noritoshi and Hiroko had become bitter rivals so the rumours went.

Filling out the ministry itself was rather more tricky, Noritoshi and Hiroko had both attempted to stack the deck with courtiers of their preferred views on the outside world. The result had been to your surprise a balanced ministry with everyone being extremely good at the jobs. (So that the other could not find cause to remove them) The Foreign Ministry was neither eager to embrace the outside world, or reject it, meaning that over all it made no one happy but you.

That said the question of who to appoint to the Imperial Council was left to you, after a few days coming up with an appropriate title 'Imperial Commissioner for Foreign Affairs'. You had turned to choosing the best candidates you could, with Kotaro and Akane assisting. In the end there emerged three top contenders for the position.

Shosuro Ayumi

Air 3
Demeanour: Cold
History: The granddaughter of exiles to the Burning Sands, Ayumi was trained in the courtly ways of the Bayushi and show exceptional skill for it at a young age. Melding this with the physical training of her birth family she became a potent and active force in a number of minor courts. When it came time for the Empire to move against the Burning Sands, she volunteered, going into the deserts to learn and collect information for the Empire. It was her skills that saw the discovery of the Golem Factory, and she now is offered again, a woman with exception abilities and understanding of the Burning Sands. Neither trusting or particularly liking the outsiders, she will employ all of her considerable skills towards keeping them from working against the Emerald Empire.

Ide Geon

Air 3
Demeanour: Warm
History: Born the son of caravan masters, there was little chance for Geon to not grow up with a keen understanding of the outside world. What was unexpected was the sheer joy he took from meeting new people and learning their customs. It was he who negotiated the uneasy truce between Bayushi Paneki and the Ivindi and he who educated their ambassador on Rokugani customs. He is now eager to employ his skills on a grand scale. Warm and friendly, he believes that the outside world has much to offer the Emerald Empire.

Tsuruchi Naoji

Air 3
Demeanour: Balanced
History: Its odd for a Tsuruchi to end up on the oceans, odder still for them to go as far as Naoji has. Born as the result of an early political union between the Tsuruchi and Yoritomo. Naoji was raised in the Yoritomo traditions as per the agreement. Naoji took to the sea with a rare vigour leading a wide ranging trading mission around the southern seas. Its rumoured that he has even seen the mythical lands of the Zanj. Having seen both the best and worst of the foreigners, Naoji is somewhat more ambivalent to the foreigners. This leads to a man willing to be welcoming or hostile as the needs of the Empire dictate. However, the man is somewhat notorious for his willingness to bend the rules in pursuit of his goals.

In the end, you decided on...

[] Shosuro Ayumi (-5 Unicorn, Mantis, +10 Scorpion lock)
[] Ide Geon (-Scorpion, Mantis, +10 Uniocrn lock)
[] Tsurchi Naoji (-Scorpion, Unicorn, +10 Mantis lock)


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Kaname positively glowed as you say down with her and your daughter. Your own smile threatened to split you face as Minoru walked up to her mother's belly and whispered loudly at it. "Hi! I'm you're big sister!"

Your daughter proceeded to nuzzle Kaname's stomach trying to hug her new sibling despite that not being physically possible. Kaname gave Minoru small gentle head pats.
"Easy Min-chan, he's still not ready to meet you yet, but I'm sure he'll love you." she says.

Minoru continues to fuss over Kaname, for a while before coming up to you and holding out her hands. With a smooth motion you lift her up and begin letting her walk up your front. For once not the Emperor, just an indulgent father. With a smile you and Kaname spend the rest of the day with her until she tires out.

After putting Minoru to bed, Kaname turns to you.
"...your mother came to speak to me recently."

A slight raise of your eyebrow.
"Did she now?"

"She congratulated me on my impending child...but questioned why it took so long." Kaname says.

"Mother took years between me and my brother, she should not be so concerned" You say smoothly.

"I know that Hisao, but your mother thinks...that if you had more children things would be easier for everyone. As it stands, in another year or two, the Clans are going to clamour like so many sharks to have our daughter betrothed and trained by one of them. Having more children to mollify them...your mother isn't wrong." Kaname says.

"We did our best, Benten-no-kami knows that after that vacation we have had an...active relationship. The Heavens do as they will." You say.

"And if the heavens will you to have another?" Kaname asks her eyes looking at you.

Its strange, wrong to see those brown eyes so vulnerable. You had known that Kaname had worried about providing you more children, it was after all her duty. But the idea that you would have other women...hadn't entered your mind at all.

You pull Kaname close.
"If the Heavens will that, they will have to tell me in person, until then, you are my wife, and I will have no other."

There's a soft noise as she hugs you back.
"Hai, my husband."

If instead of the usual prayers to Benten, all you do is cuddle your wife that night...well you didn't mind that either.

AN: So new position new characteristic. Cold represents the preference to keep foreigners at arms length and subvert their attempts to manipulate the Empire. Warm represents the preference to bring foreigners in and co-opt them. Balanced naturally is the ability to move between the two.

Yes mama Ryoko is being a hypocrite.