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

"A missive for you my Khan"

I take a look around the dojo, my opponents breathing hard as they tried to find a way through my brutal strikes. While sparring in the ring is no comparison to real battle, real bloodshed, it will do to keep me sharp.

A boy offers a towel. I take it and clean my head of the sweat that I worked up.

"Well what is it?" I call to the messenger.

The messenger, a young Ide no doubt praised for her skills, but still fresh from her gempukku, blushed for a moment before managing to get out.

"A letter for you from Moto Chen-sama in your office, and an open letter from the Emperor. Her Imperial Highness is with child and he wishes to share his joy with all."

"Thank you Ide-san."

My opponents, the White Guard of the Moto looked at me, asking if I wanted to continue. I shook my head, instead heading towards the baths.

So the brat managed to make another brat. I suppose I can't blame him for his ardour. If I wasn't married to Rumiko...well, Kaname was pretty enough to make most men have lewd thoughts. Acting on them was another matter when your wife was Matsu trained and still the only one who could consistently pin you. Not that I minded those moments all that much...

The baths were as with most of my holdings, functional with just enough decoration to show that I wasn't a peasant. But I had no servants washing my back, just my own two hands, how I preferred it really.

Lukewarm water cascades down my back as I scrub away the sweat and the grime. The brat, I shouldn't think of my Emperor that way. I had sworn my oaths, and while I was furious at him for presuming that I needed investigating...I couldn't say that he was wrong to do so. Not me, partisan of Kaneka, and the man who had changed the heavens themselves for his people.

Still, he was a brat, oh a serious, mature brat, but a brat. He had no experience, he had never fought in the din of battle, felt the blood flow out of his veins from a wound, or see the light in a man's eyes die from being stabbed in the chest.

Naseru had done him a disservice, I could see a glimmer of potential in the brat, a glimmer...but only if he cast away his slow plodding nature, cautious, careful, calculated. Like his father...but unlike his father Hisao lacked the ability to spring shut his plans like a steel trap impaling the helpless prey inside.

So that is why he was a brat...it didn't help that he hadn't really shown himself a bold leader, a prudent one, but not a bold one. I had the same problem with his father. If Naseru and Hisao were mountains, then I was the wind, forever blowing against it, unable to stand the thought that it would not move.

Arrogance I suppose. But then if any man in this Empire had the right to be arrogant, I was one of them.

I slide into the steam hot water of the bath proper, the heat sapping away the bruises on my skin.
This war of his, would make or break the brat. I believed him about the city of Medinaat al-Salaam being taken by enemies of the Empire. Too many of my desert kin said that they were skirmishing with the Caliph's Armies and the reports from the Dragon ambassador had ceased entirely...no they were no doubt preparing a war against us. Whether or not it was truly the Shadow Dragon and an army of glass...well, I wish I could say it was impossible, but my life argues against that.

Still it had been nice of the brat to foot the bill for the Moto to absorb two of the Yobanjin tribes, very nice of him indeed.

Overall, I'd have to call his first year of rule something of a failure, but a marginal one, maybe he'll show me something more next year...maybe Kaneka will reconsider his position if Hisao doesn't improve.
We all love the Empire the question is what will we do for that.

I crack my neck, probably should go check Chen's letter. I want that bastard Susumu's head.

There's a splash beside me, my wife, naked slides in.

"Husband mine."

"Rumiko" I say looking at her.

"You are thinking dark thoughts...and I find that I would like a daughter after three sons." She says.

I laugh and pull Rumiko over to me. If there's one thing to love about a Matsu wife, they're always clear about what they want.

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Year Two of Toturi IV's Reign, Month of the Dragon, fifteenth day.

The Council room, is a relatively small place for all that happens in here. A long low table sits in the middle and enough seating for eight people is backed with standing room for eight more. You sit at the head of the table, beside you, Kaname, still not showing in full her pregnancy sits as gracefully as she can. Along one side sits Akane, and Hiromi, opposite of them is Noritoshi and Shem-Zhe, and at the far end of the table, Kaneka sits.

The spring planting begins in a few short weeks, making it now time to set your policy for the year. However, first to see what was going on in the world, you think.

"So what is the state of my Empire?"

Noritoshi speaks first.
"Your earlier commission to rebuild has met with acceptable results. While we currently lack the people to adequately staff all that we have rebuilt, the Empire is ready for the people to come back and make it whole again. However, there is no doubt that we will need to maintain extra vigilance to prevent brigands from taking advantage of our somewhat stretched resources. That said, we will need to consolidate the law and finish purging the Imperial Bureaucracy before your recovery efforts could be considered complete."

Shem-Zhe speaks next.
"I wish I could report good news my Emperor, however, at present, the Brotherhood of Shinsei is internally divided, and I will need to convene a Grand Conclave soon. There is much dispute over the position of the Fortunes, and the addition of the new ones that your father and grandfather raised. While most of the Brotherhood accepts that it is an intrinsic right of your office to do so. A vocal contingent is arguing that it was a gifting derived from the blood of the Hantei. However, I believe this can be managed for now."

You groan internally, the Toturi had maintained good relations with the Brotherhood of Shinsei since your grandfather, to hear that you were losing that, did not make you happy. You feel a nudge on your knee from Kaname.

"Very well, Yoritomo-san."

Hiromi sighs.
"We've spent a lot over the last few years, Toturi III honoured be his memory, didn't leave a lot behind. Thanks to some...progressive tolls, the Imperial families, and you Emperor should be fine, but there's a lot of tight belts in the future. If at all possible, I'd like to begin looking into charters and grants to make more merchants for us to tax."

Akane sniffs, at the mention but nods.
"Politically we're in a somewhat delicate spot. The Mantis-Unicorn alliance still holds, but is manageable of much greater concern, is in the south. It seems that Togashi-sama has explained his reasons for the war of Silk and Steel, and ended it cleanly. Even if there is currently a small purge in the Daidoji...however, the Crab-Scorpion War and the Third Yasuki War look to start again, as a mark of respect, they intend to lobby to you for arbitration...but to offer a fair solution to all sides, currently seems impossible. If at all possible, I would like to leverage the Miya and Otomo to the major courts of all parties to lay the ground work to accept our arbitration with grace."

You look at your Uncle.

"The Imperial Legions are still reforming. I can guarantee you two fully combat ready legions. But even they are pretty green. I need to reform the recruitment models before I would expand the Legion further. However, such a thing is going to cost us in a lot of ways. There's a very strong group of people who want the Imperial legions to revert to being just a work program for disaffected third sons and daughters."

"And of course all of these are things that will need resolving before the war happens" You muse. The war that you didn't want to fight.

"Also I have at least a dozen people offering to tutor your brother, but that can be dealt with. Emperor, where should we focus our energies for this year?" Akane asks.

You take a deep breath and consider your options. They're all things worth focusing on but in the end...

[] You will endeavour to enhance your position in the courts and regain your prestige as you deal with your vassals (TN 25, 52% Chance) (+5 to Scorpion, Crane and Phoenix, -5 Lion, Crab and Unicorn)

[] You will turn your attentions to your laws and law keepers, a happy realm is an ordered realm after all. Reform and purge the Imperial Bureaucrats of corruption! (TN 20, 87% Chance) (+5 to Dragon, Unicorn and Lion, -5 Scorpion, Crane, Mantis)

[] You need an army worthy of the name. Even if it will anger many, you intend to give your uncle a free hand in making the Imperial Legion live up to the legacy of your Grandfather. (TN 25, 49% Chance) (+5 to Lion, Crab, Unicorn. -5 Scorpion, Crane, Phoenix)

[] Wars are won on the back of logistics, and logistics are expensive. You need to make the koku flow, and you will let Hiromi do what she does best. (TN 20 49% Chance) (+5 to Mantis, Unicorn and Crab. -5 Dragon, Phoenix, Lion)

[] The spiritual is as important as the physical, if your monks and priests are arguing with themselves, how can they minister to your people? No time to focus on taking care of that side of things. (TN 20, 37% chance.) (+10 to Dragon, Phoenix. -5 Unicorn, Lion, Scorpion, Mantis)

[] No you have something entirely different for them to focus on. (Write in)

AN: So after thinking about it, I have implemented a skill mastery system for your advisers, at skill rank 3,5 and 7 they gain a +2k0, Free raise and +0k1 to dice rolls associated with their area of expertise. You can see that at play here in the above calculations. Hiromi and Shem-Zhe are both rolling a 5k2 base. But because Hiromi is pursuing a policy with merchants, she adds 2k0 to that roll so it's 7k2, improving her chances dramatically. Hopefully this combined with the altered TN's will help alleviate the hopeless feeling some of you guys have been getting. Balanced characters split the 2k0 into 1k0 between the two axes.