Did someone call for a Fraud and Emerald Mountain Stunt?
[x] No Taxation without Representation
-[x] Abject Fraud
[x] Beg Zao for Money
-[x] A Small Favor
-[x] Celestial Backup: In addition to money ask for backup from your celestial tier colleagues.
[x] Tap the Reserves
[x] Write-in: Scout and plan for an assault of the Emerald Mountain
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The best way to frustrate and irritate the Imperial Auditors was to use their own rules and regulations against them. By examining the records of past taxation in Luseng and utilizing his own hilariously contradictory orders Ulyssian would be able to confuse Anys Syn's minion, maintain a surprising amount of funds, and do so completely legally.
There were numerous different reasons and rationales for tax right offs in the records available to him. Historical precedents and obscure rules that had been the order of the day when Luseng had had fewer direct enemies and more money to spread in bureaucratic pockets. In ordinary days he might be able to reduce the amount he needed to pay significantly with what was available to an ordinary Satrap. Sesus Ulyssian was not an ordinary Satrap and these were not ordinary days.
The unusual circumstances of Luseng, and Anys' own attempts at furthering his destruction would serve him now. When faced with external assault by a Lunar led army satraps were able to write-off portions of their taxes for local defense. The same was true in the event of Fair Folk invasion, or a Death Lord incursion. Happily, each write-off was a percentage of the total amount owed rather than a flat discount. It seemed unlikely anyone had ever noticed this loophole before as this was the first time in recent memory that all of the categorical foes of the Realm united as one to destroy a Satrapy. If the shogunate remnant in Lookshy had decided to mount an expeditionary force as well he'd have all the available foe write-offs covered.
What was more, write-offs were allowed for literally everything else Anys Syn had ordered. Not in large amounts, but rebuilding infrastructure, spreading the Immaculate faith, and the general defense of the Realm, were all incentivized. Given the ordinary amount of corruption and graft found in most Realm Satrapies it wasn't surprising that the central bureaucracy did its best to provide reasons for those who husbanded their territories to do their job. Often these bureaucratic benefits might be the only way to get a typical Dragonblood Satrap of the Realm to do their job in the first place!
Sesus Ulyssian required no such manipulations in order to do his job properly, but if it helped him to actually perform his duties despite the so-called directives foisted on him by a hostile superior then he would use them and gladly. He would even take some small satisfaction in using his foes attempts to stymie him to stymie her. The confusing mess of different legal precedents, deductions, trade law, and diverse other bureaucratic strangeness that he would create would take a significant time to parse through, for even the greatest and best of auditors. Baring the application of celestial essence it was likely that a proper audit of this tax return would take the better part of a season, if not longer. Even with the unequaled supernal excellence available to the chosen of the heavens it should take some time, and time spent parsing through Ulyssian's work was time not spent holding the Realm together. It might even provide an opening for Zao to exploit!
Of course, this was not the only tactic Ulyssian was using to strengthen his hand. In addition, he had sent a swift messenger to Zao asking for a small, and perhaps negligible loan given the current enhanced state of the Navy. At the same time he would request martial backup in order to prosecute the war against the foes of Creation. Any further economic short coming could be made up by his own resources, resting with Elsewhere awaiting his call. A strong weapon could often provide for a nation, but probably not in the way that a goremaul made of solid jade could.
Sadly, all of these tactics served only to provide a temporary respite from the bleeding wound of taxation that Anys Syn desired to inflict. A long term solution was obviously required, and what better solution than to deny his foes a resource and claim it for himself. With the tactics he had already organized he would have time to scout and create a flawless battle plan for use against the forces that held the Jade Mountain. Let Anys Syn continue to tax him into the ground. The total destruction of the economy of all Creation could give her pause!
