Seventh Year of Toturi IV
Month of the Hare, Fifteenth Day
The bitter cold of the winter hasn't truly left the land yet, although technically its spring. The harsh snows argue otherwise, but you made it back to the capital none the less. The answer you had given to Sekawa still echoing in your mind. 'Otosan Uchi' the former capital, lost to the Shadowlands nearly twenty years ago now. The Jade Legion, Phoenix and Kuni had all agreed that reclaiming it was impossible. .
That was the task that you had chosen. The Rift worried you, and you had every intention of trying to address it as well, and the information that Sekawa had given had not been good. Of a land permanently in chaos, of demons from jigokou being tormented by trickster spirits, even as Tsuno slaughtered animal spirits en-masse and so on. The heavens would stop it, according to Sekawa, but that you had to focus your efforts on Otosan Uchi.
The Lost City of the Hantei, you had chosen both because of its value to the Empire, and its practical closeness, that didn't mean you had any idea of what to do about the matter. You were more a politician than anything.
So you convened your council on this cold bitter day. The braziers burning bright in the corner as you look at them. Your uncle now with streaks of grey in his hair, but still unbent and unbroke. The simmering tension between Hiroko and Noritoshi, which you had already heard a half dozen pillow books speculate being about something more. The calm solidity of Akane, and Shem-Zhe, and last your newest addition. Shosuro Ayumi.
"Well then" You say. "I'm sure you have all heard about what happened at my winter court. We will discuss that after we administer the normal affairs of state."
Ayumi raises one fan.
"My Emperor, if I may?"
You give a short nod.
"Under the Emperor's command, I have directed our gaze towards the Yodotai in my ministry. It seems that we will not be so lucky as to have Marius Angelos be deposed. He has since made a truce with two of his strategoi in exchange for a marriage alliance and they are crushing the last of them now, what they will do next is unclear, although it seems likely that they will attempt to batter down the Pelmyrians or Senpet next." Ayumi says.
"This Angelos, what is his weakness?" Noritoshi asks.
Kaneka is the one who answers.
"His strategoi...they do not have the same...respect as proper people do, they shift and fall like reeds on the wind, if they can be convinced to revolt, they will. I have been...learning since my time in the Jewelled city."
"As Shogun-dono says, his strategoi can be turned against him...but as of yet we can rest easy."
"Very well, continue to keep an eye on it. Kaneka-san, how fairs my army?" you ask.
"The Imperial Legions are rebuilding slowly, the usual pool of recruits is...also recovering. Currently we are plugging the gap of numbers with the Eight Banners army, but that will not hold for too long. I would recommend that we reduce the current active number of legions. Better to have fewer full legions than many understrength ones. "
You nod having expected this to some extent.
"Very well, Kakita-san, the Courts?"
"There have been...debates, about the Articles, nothing that cannot be handled, but it would be good at some point to have them formally proclaimed through out the land by the heralds again. We are also expecting there to be some minor peasant unrest if the weather does not break soon." He says smoothly.
"Which brings us to you Yoritomo-san, thoughts?"
"Getting the Jewelled City up and running will give us a hefty amount of leeway on what we can do. But that's a few days off. Reducing taxes is the only immediate thing we can do to keep unrest down. But that will make the Samurai unhappy as well. My recommendation is to ride it out and focus on the city at present." Hiroko answers.
"Under consideration. Kitsuki-san" You say going around the table.
"For once things are relatively quiet. Yoritomo Okimoto is continuing to agitate with Moto Chaghatai for us to engage more with the outside world, but they are not gaining any traction at present, and their clans aren't terribly motivated behind them" Akane says. "Politically this would be a good time to make a major move, such as betrothing your daughter or arranging her schooling"
You suppress a scowl at the thought. Your daughter was still young, two years at least until such things are needed...but Akane is not wrong.
"Last, Horiuchi-san, the remainder of this discussion will fall under your purview. It is well known what Sekawa said. Brief the council on Otosan Uchi" You order.
Shem-zhe nods, with a sigh held back. He takes out a map of the old Imperial City and lays it down.
"The Winter means that my forces have not had much success in getting near, but I've had a steady stream of reports from the old Yotsu family. I've had my people collate them and put them together."
The Unicorn takes out several markers and places them on the map, one at each gate and one in the rough centre of a district.
"When the city fell, the Shadowlands moved fast to ensure that taking it back would be no easy task. Indeed my predecessors considered it impossible for a number of reasons. First and foremost, and we do not know how, they corrupted the walls. Now instead of being beacons of purity, the walls themselves trap the corruption in the walls and intensify it like someone was hitting a bell continuously. So long as this occurs, purifying the city is impossible. In addition to this, there are...reports, of central pillars of obsidian placed where the markers are. What they are for, we do not know. However, current theory is that they're slowly turning the city into a second pit. Lastly on this...charming thing, is the old palace. Someone or something is living there, the Yotsu believe that it is the reanimated corpse of Hantei XXXVIII but we have no proof of that. Whatever is there, it seems to be coordinating the Shadowland forces in the city to an extent." Shem-Zhe finishes.
"A formidable task, how strong is the corruption?" Kaneka asks.
"The Kuni report is a generation old, but it states that even their attempts to purify the land, using the same method by which they purified their lands centuries ago...are temporary at best. At this point we can only assume it is much worse"
"I can hear the Crab complain about the Jade loss already." Hiroko says.
"Be that as it may, I will need immense amounts of it my Emperor." Shem-zhe says.
"Thank you Horiuchi-san." You say after he is done.
"In light of that, I would recommend that we begin gathering and stockpiling Jade" Noritoshi says.
Unspoken to everyone is that the Crab will hate having their jade stocks reduced in any way. But it may be for the best. There eyes look at you, the choice as always is on you.
[] Begin searching for a betrothal and schooling for your daughter (TN 20 variable results)
[] Have the heralds go and reinforce your laws, and prosecute offenders harshly. (TN 15 +5 Dragon, Crane. -5 Mantis Scorpion)
[] Reform the Legions again to account for losses (TN 15 +5 Unicorn, Lion. -5 Crane, Phoenix)
[] Build up trade in the Jewelled City (TN 25, +5 Mantis, Crab. -5 Lion, Dragon)
[] Stockpile Jade ( TN 10, -15 Crab)
Regarding the Matter of Otosan Uchi do you...
[] Wait a year and prepare a scouting expedition
[] Send a Scouting Expedition
[] Attempt to figure out the Gates
[] Attempt to figure out the Obsidian Pillars
[] Attack the Imperial Palace
AN: No rolls for Matter of Otosan Uchi, largely because I'm going to roll all of them.
