Chapter 653

So quick note: I forgot to tell you I'd need a one chapter break after last chapter, which would've been an okay point to leave off. This point is okay too, so no chapter for yall on sunday. The next chapter will be the tuesday after, on nov 24.

I’d hoped to finish SD in 2020, but it looks like that won’t happen just yet. Thanks for sticking with me for this long journey, and I hope you’re all with me for the impending end.

Unless yanno, 2020 is really the end times and the world goes to shit before I finish, which is not as much of a tongue in cheek joke anymore. See ya tuesday, and take care!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lRt3YBltVYrdcNaSPxfm_LrrWW0TnLARBXnImLICLzc/edit?usp=sharing 

The Central Citadel came alive with celebration as the triumphant army streamed through the Western gates, but Luo-Luo’s heart was not in it.

The people of the Empire cheered because they only knew a great victory had been won out on the fields of Central, but Luo-Luo was privy to all the disheartening details which were kept out of the public eye. Almost every soldier serving on the Western border had been dispatched to help secure the second line, and of those, at least one tenth would not return. A third of the remaining were injured enough to require medical leave, and the final numbers had yet to be tallied, so they could only go up from here. So many lives lost in a single day, the Empire would be mourning them for weeks to come as news trickled back to their families and loved ones. A great victory had indeed been won, but one which came at great cost.

Regardless of her inner turmoil, she let none of it show as she stood on stage to welcome the returning heroes. Colonel Generals Mitsue Juichi and Shuai Jiao entered first, flanking the titular star of the hour, Brigadier Chen Hongji. Soon to be Major General Chen Hongji, from the looks of the reports, with Colonel General Shuai Jiao and Ryo Dae Jung both vying to take him under their wing. With the latter busy leading the charge to retake Castle Jianghu, the former was attempting to steal a march, but Luo-Luo knew the good Brigadier’s allegiance lay firmly with Lord Husband first, who was sure to reward his loyalty handsomely.

A minor political struggle, in the grand scheme of things, for though Chen Hongji’s star was on the rise, his influence had yet to catch up, nor would it so long as he continued to serve on the front lines. The love of the masses was a marked advantage for anyone to have, but they were a fickle bunch with memories measured in weeks, if not days. Worse, those in power could easily ignore popular opinion so long as they had enough strength, for the Empire was a world in which might makes right, regardless of what Lord Husband might claim otherwise. Thus, as the ceremonial welcoming party ushered the returning delegation on stage, Luo-Luo’s attention was largely focused upon the most troublesome of the bunch, the oldest Colonel General in the Empire, Mitsue Juichi.

Luo-Luo always thought it strange that a man so fond of white face powder would be called ‘The Obsidian Shadow”, but today, she learned that mocking titles were not reserved for the likes of Mother-in-Law Akanai alone. Bereft of makeup and accessories, Mitsue Juichi appeared to have aged three decades since she last laid eyes upon him, though part of it was due to his slack expression and slumped posture. He rode poorly for a military man, only marginally better than Father-in-Law Baatar who just recently started learning, and his cold-shouldered reaction to the warm reception did him no favours either, making him seem grumpy and cantankerous to the extreme. The defining factor for his startling appearance however, was the dark, patchy birthmark which covered a good third of his face, one which went unnoticed under his cosmetics. For good reason too, since his blemish began just below his right eye, passed over half his nose and both his lips before ending well south of his chin somewhere inside his lapel, giving his features a frightening cast as if half his face had been consigned to darkness.

The Obsidian Shadow indeed.

How hateful of Central’s people to disparage their greatest warriors based on appearance alone, but Luo-Luo understood the reasoning behind the logic. Martial Warriors were held in the highest regards not solely based on strength alone, but also appearance. To the common man and woman, Martial Warriors were demi-gods of a sort, less than gods but certainly more than human. Stature and physique might differ, but all Martial Warriors were supposed to be paragons of beauty, because ugliness was a Defiled trait. The Mother marked those with ill-intent so that all could see their true villainous self, or so it was believed, which led Luo-Luo to wonder how much prejudice and discrimination Mitsue Juichi had to overcome in order to reach the lofty heights he stood upon today. Though aged and weary, he was still a handsome older gentleman, but seeing the great lengths he went to in order to hide his flaws showed the depths of his self-contempt. This from a man who began with less than nothing, the son of a brick-maker who lost his entire family in a disastrous fire and went on to become one of the most powerful and influential Warriors of the outer provinces, but still he felt the need to hide his face from the world. Had circumstances not conspired against them, Luo-Luo wholeheartedly believed Lord Husband and Mitsue Juichi would have gotten along like two peas in a pod, but alas, fate was not kind to the Living Legend.

Despite her best efforts to stifle the rumours, word of Mitsue Hideo’s defection had spread like wildfire throughout the Citadel, and there was likely not a single person currently living within the walls who hadn’t heard the news. Some reacted with sympathy, and others with anger and disdain, but for Luo-Luo, this presented a most troublesome tribulation for which she was not equipped to handle. Imperial Law dictated Mitsue Hideo be openly denounced as Defiled, the crime for which was Nine Familial Extermination. Were this anyone else, she would not hesitate to do so, but going through with it meant executing every single one of Hideo’s cousins, uncles, and aunts, yet leaving Mitsue Juichi untouched. A grand-uncle was not within nine degrees of relations, but perhaps it would have been easier if he too shared in their punishment, because she couldn’t imagine a world in which the Living Legend stood stand idly by and watched as his beloved children and grand-children were gathered up and beheaded.

To further complicate matters, while on the front lines, Lord Husband set a troublesome precedent for the exoneration of Defiled traitors. By publicly absolving Yomen Hoon, a commoner without fame or power, of treason, he showed exceptional mercy to a man who admitted to not only murdering and torturing Imperial soldiers in wartime, but had also taken up arms in the Enemy’s name. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Yomen Hoon had succumbed to the Father’s foul lies, and while the circumstances were extraordinary to be sure, showing mercy to the Enemy was the same as being cruel to the Empire. The only upside to all this was Lord Husband had Yomen Hoon executed for other crimes on the spot, meaning his mercy only extended to the traitor’s still living relatives, who by and large would still have to start new lives in new locations where no one knew their names.

Which shouldn’t be all too difficult since Lord Husband expressly insisted Yomen Hoon’s widow receive her full benefits, a substantial amount of coin that would serve her and her family well.

Unfortunately, this made Luo-Luo’s dilemma all the more prickly, and she had no idea what to do. Seeing how he’d evaded capture, she was unable to execute Mitsue Hideo out of hand, but she also couldn’t absolve him of treason since he had yet to repent for his crimes. How would it look if she pardoned a known traitor, one who was still fighting for the Enemy and killing Imperial soldiers, all because his Mentor and Grand-Uncle was the famed Mitsue Juichi? Condemning him sight unseen was not an option either, since it would be equally foolish to carry out Nine Familial Execution without the culprit responsible for bringing this calamity down upon them. A moot gesture, one which would be doubly foolish considering Mitsue Juichi’s record of doting upon his children and relatives, and triply so when the Mitsue family’s military contributions were taken into account. Though the main family lacked talents of note, Juichi’s daughters had married good, strong husbands, and his grandchildren helped him make even more connections with the outside world. At the latest count, there were no less than thirty-thousand soldiers serving under the Mitsue Family banner, and more than twice that number serving with closely allied forces.

All of who might well choose loyalty to the famed Living Legend over fealty to a far-off Emperor.

That was one thing Luo-Luo kept forgetting, that these citizens of the outer provinces had never seen the Emperor before, or any Emperor at all. They’d never felt His majestic presence standing within their midst and known they were looking at the Son of Heaven. Instead, they paid lip service to a man they’d never met and would happily rebel if given half a reason, for out here, the Emperor was merely a figurehead, rather than a man ordained by the Heavens to lead them.

Still, even ninety-thousand troops was merely a drop in the bucket when taking the entire Empire into account, but given the fractured nature of Central’s elites, this still constituted a sizable force which could not be ignored. Not that she expected Mitsue Juichi to rebel unless pushed, or for all of his allies and soldiers to stand with him if he should, but desperate people had done crazier things. The Empire could ill-afford a rebellion at this critical juncture, no matter how ‘small’ or ineffective. It might seem like an overreaction to worry so much about one man, but most men were unable to bring down entire fortified buildings with a single stomp, which made it all the more likely for Juichi to lash out and plunge the Empire into chaos if she should choose poorly.

Luo-Luo hoped to avoid such a disastrous outcome, but if only she knew how...

Putting her woes aside for the moment, she joined Lord Husband’s War Council in welcoming the returning delegation. Never letting her smile slip, she covertly studied the crowd’s reaction while Brigadier Yari Hagane gave an unscheduled, long-winded, and frankly uninspiring speech, one which no one cared to listen to, not even the recipients of his flowery praise. Amidst the thunderous applause, deafening cheers, and a never-ending trickle of coloured paper scraps fluttering through the air, Luo-Luo spotted more than one confused expression or wandering gaze, no doubt belonging to an individual wondering why their beloved Legate wasn’t leading the delegation, or at least a part of it. Herein lay the crux of her misfortunes, for Lord Husband had been injured in the chaos of battle and had yet to regain consciousness. Hardly unheard of considering Lord Husband’s history, and she harboured an inkling suspicion his deep sleep might have something to do with the unnatural storm which drove the Defiled army to retreat, only shortly after plunging the entire Western border into temporary darkness not seven hours ago.

Luo-Luo was sorely lacking in ./proof, but she knew it had to be so. Lord Husband was a man blessed by the Mother Above, a brilliant man capable of making miracles happen.

Whether she was right or not, only time would tell, but Luo-Luo had fufll faith Lord Husband would make a full recovery. The problem was, his prolonged slumber came at a most inopportune time, when his guiding hand was sorely needed to direct the Empire’s efforts. Even the three Central Colonel Generals couldn’t work out their differences and join hands in harmony, so how could the three provinces be expected to do the same? Without Lord Husband standing above them, the regional Marshals and Colonel Generals would each go their own way. A grand victory had been won today, and the Colonel Generals of Central had wasted no time playing politics, with Shuai Jiao and Ryo Dae Jung fighting over the scraps of glory yet to be claimed. The only reason Mitsue Juichi wasn’t taking part in their rivalry was because he was too preoccupied with his grief and misfortune, which only encouraged the other two to contest even harder since there was no need to guard against a third.

Theoretically, Luo-Luo herself could put a stop to their squabbling, and perhaps even retain control of the outer provinces as a whole. Prior to leaving for Castle JiangHu and lapsing into insensibility, Lord Husband had bestowed upon her his personal token of office, one which represented his word in all official documentation and effectively made her Minister of Finance and Legate of the outer provinces in all but name. The problem was, as both a woman and an Imperial Servant, the officials of the Empire had already shown a reluctance to heed her orders, and only followed through due to the threat of what Lord Husband might do upon his return. Now that he’d fallen unconscious, and more importantly, had been seen passed out on the battlefield, his political rivals would suspect something amiss if she continued ruling over the outer provinces in his name. She was no king or emperor, not even a queen or empress, merely the Legate’s concubine whom he indulged too much, or so the leaders of the outer provinces would suspect.

Worst of all? Even if they did respect her authority and heed her orders, Luo-Luo wasn’t sure if she was even capable of leading the outer provinces through these trying times without the benefit of Lord Husband’s guidance. Already, his War Council was urging her not to make decisions, but to give them unfettered authority to do as they pleased. Mere minutes after word of Lord Husband’s victory arrived, Major General Han BoHai, Major General Inthavong, and the long winded Brigadier Yari Hagane all waylaid her in her office to discuss their own agendas. Once Father-in-Law Baatar’s army finished cleaning up the Defiled forces at Castle Youxia, Colonel General Nian Zu wanted to drive the remaining Defiled back into the Western Province, a dangerous proposition with so many Defiled forces still in the field. The South was demanding assistance to drive off the Defiled army laying siege to Castle Wulin, an army led by Mataram YuChun of the Ten-Thousand Spears. Yet another misnomer, considering the reports estimated his reinforcing army contained more than two-hundred and fifty thousand Defiled soldiers in total, a force which outnumbered the southern reinforcing army which had been dispatched to aid Lord Husband. The fighting was still going on down in Castle Wulin, and while she was more than happy to authorize aid, she had no fresh troops to spare. All three Citadels had been emptied of soldiers in order to achieve this victory, and while North and Central had emerged victorious, their soldiers were either too tired or too poorly positioned to reinforce Castle Wulin in the south. With Colonel General Ryo Dae Jung busy retaking Castle JiangHu and Colonel Hongji’s army dog tired from a long day of marching and fighting, the only force available was Father-in-Law’s mobile army. However, even if they took the most direct route along the second line, it would take a day and a half of hard riding to reach Castle Wulin, and Major General Han BoHai rightly pointed out that this route ran the risk of being intercepted by Gongsun Qi’s retreating forces.

It wasn’t all bleak news, as Lord Husband’s initial plans meant that the Southern Citadel still had a sizable army in the field, one already marching towards Castle Wulin and scheduled to arrive within fifteen hours. However, if YuChun’s forces were to take the castle before they arrived, then the South would have no soldiers positioned to defend their Citadel, and an army out in the field with no walls to defend. This had the markings of a disaster in the making, but what was she to do? Until now, she’d muddled her way through command by following the guidelines Lord Husband laid down, but despite making plans for any and all disasters, he never planned out what to do in the event of a victory. Judging by the subtle questioning glances directed towards her by Colonel General Shuai Jiao and Brigadier Chen Hongji, she suspected Major General Inthavong was using Brigadier Yari Hagane’s long-winded speech to Send word to the returning heroes and inform them that the Legate’s stand-in was not doing her job, since she had yet to make a decision regarding Castle Wulin.

She was sorely out of her depth and she knew it, but she couldn’t go to just anyone for help. Mother-in-Law Akanai would be the best candidate, considering she was a Warrior of renown and a commander of note, but she was also about as subtle as a sledgehammer hidden inside a sleeve. It wouldn’t be proper to be seen taking advice from a Lieutenant General, then turn around and tell a group of Colonel Generals what to do, but what other choice did she have?

Surprisingly enough, it wasn’t either of the Colonel Generals who put a stop to Brigadier Yari Hagane’s jabbering, but Brigadier Hongji himself, jumping in while the blowhard drew breath to suggest that his troops (and by extension, himself) might be tired after a long day’s march and would appreciate if they made it through the gates before midnight. Technically, the gates were to be kept closed after nightfall, but the Citadel was awake and well lit despite the late hour, as citizen and soldier alike waited up to welcome back their victorious heroes. Their motives weren’t entirely unselfish since many of them would have to stay up regardless, since the returning troops would require their services. Food had to be cooked, clothes laundered, alcohol served, and flesh peddled, all the customary businesses a battle-worn soldier might indulge in. All of which had recently seen a marked increase in price, with unscrupulous merchants taking advantage of Lord Husband’s luxury tax to pass the costs and a significant profit margin onto their customers. No doubt he had an idea as to how to counter this, but Luo-Luo herself was at a loss on how to proceed here as well, especially since the merchants were more than happy to tell anyone with ears how the increased costs were the Legate’s fault and speculate on how much coin his taxes were earning him.

As Luo-Luo said earlier, the love of the masses was easily lost, and she could see many a disgruntled soldier revising their opinion of Lord Husband in the coming hours.

Feeling incompetent and incapable, Luo-Luo continued to smile and greet the soldiers as they streamed through the brightly lit gates, with paper lanterns a plenty to guide their way through the winding Central Citadel streets. Lord Husband had shared his opinion regarding the city layout many a time, and suffice to say it wasn’t complimentary. In his opinion, the outer walls were largely for show, with the true defensive focus on the heart of the Citadel itself. Lord Husband had been disgusted by the thought process which went into designing the Citadel, one which made use of the inefficient design to delay and distract the Defiled invaders long enough for the Central army to gather all their soldiers into the fortified centre, leaving millions of working citizens undefended if the Defiled should ever breach the outer walls. Though she hadn’t been present at the meeting when he brought it up, it’d led to the removal of Brigadier Yari Hagane’s predecessor, supposedly because the man had the audacity to shrug and ask, “Why all this fuss over dead commoners? There will always be more to take their place.”

Not an uncommon mindset among the Martial Elite, much to Lord Husband’s chagrin. He was a good man with noble ideals, albeit unrealistic ones, but Luo-Luo would do what she could to help him achieve his goals.

Which lately proved to not be much.

Her smile slipped as the harsh but stinging truth settled in, but only for an instant. There were still soldiers to welcome and it would not do for the Legate’s concubine and stand-in to be seen frowning at these victorious heroes. Thankfully, Lord Husband’s War Council had given up on harassing her and instead had turned their attentions to Colonel General Shuai Jiao and possibly Mother-in-Law Akanai. While she welcomed the quiet reprieve with grateful relief, the apparent disdain for her authority boded poorly for the future. She would need to do something to keep the outer provinces in line, but short of relying on her in-laws to help or auctioning off favours to the Colonel Generals in return for support, she had few options available.

About an hour into the victory march, Liu Xuande made his way over to her side. The Imperial Scion looked none the worse for wear despite the hard-fought battle, and in fact looked as neat and proper as ever, his silken beard groomed to perfection and travel clothes almost entirely untouched by dust. “Imperial Consort,” he began, offering her a salute and a bow so respectful she suspected he knew how highly sought after she’d been back home in the Eastern Province. “This one begs an audience, so that we might strike while the iron is still hot. With your permission?”

At least he had the manners to ask before deploying a Sound Barrier, and miracle of miracles, he actually waited for her permission. Quietly signalling Gunan with a seemingly random flutter of her fingers, she nodded at Liu Xuande and asked, “What is the problem?”

Ever since MuYang revealed himself against the Confessor, he’d removed himself as her aide and installed Gunan at her side instead, a man whose fervent devotion to Lord Husband was second only to MuYang himself. Despite playing the part of scribe and clerical assistant perfectly, Liu Xuande was not fooled by Gunan’s disguise and subtly indicated she should bring him into their conversation. Once he was inside the Sound Barrier, Xuande began, “This one implores you, Imperial Consort, to order a full withdrawal from the second lines using the Legate’s authority.

Despite all her training, she was unable to hide her shock. “What? Why?”

“It is of the utmost importance.” Head still bowed, he moved closer to Gunan’s side to whisper in the man’s ear without risk of his lips being read, while her loyal aide subsequently Sent everything he said to Luo-Luo.

“He says we cannot hold the second line. It’s a matter of logistics, in that we have everything set up to supply and redeploy soldiers on the border, but the second line enjoys no such benefits as the defences there were never meant to be permanent.” Though his tone indicated he couldn’t follow what Xuande was saying, Gunan repeated the man’s explanation word for word and number for number, a language which spoke volumes to Luo-Luo’s ears. Mathematically, the nine castles of the second line were too costly with regards to time and manpower to defend, especially now that SuiHua harbour had gone up in flames. What’s more, the withdrawal from the first line of defence showed that it was too risky to retreat with a full army while facing Defiled pressure, not to mention how retaking Castle JiangHu might cost the Empire everything it had just gained. In short, there was no better time than now to withdraw safely from the second line, and he believed they would be remiss to let this chance pass.

The Imperial Scion’s words made sense, but Luo-Luo feared there was something they both were missing, because if they could figure this out, surely any of the five Colonel Generals could do the same. “Have you spoken to Lieutenant General Akanai?” she asked, using her Mother-in-Law’s rank to keep matters professional. “What did she say?”

“She claimed she was unable to grasp the danger involved,” Liu Xuande said, speaking for himself once again, and she sensed a hint of sullen reproach in his tone. “She also threatened to hang this one by his ankles and dunk him into a barrel of water if he kept pestering her with ‘nonsensical’ numbers.”

Offering the man a sympathetic smile, Luo-Luo did her best not to sigh. The Bekhai were an educated bunch, perfectly capable of reading, writing, and basic arithmetic, but advanced mathematical concepts were beyond most of them. Then again, the same could be said for most nobles of the Empire too, so the Bekhai were hardly alone in this matter. “I will speak to her myself, and if she agrees, then we can bring our concerns to the rest of the War Council in the morning.”

Liu Xuande was not yet ready to give up. “Tomorrow will be twelve hours too late. The Legate’s forces drove back Gongsun Qi’s army and Major General Baatar has found much success at Castle Youxia, meaning this might well be the best chance we have to withdraw without having to fend off Defiled the whole way back.”

“What of Castle Wulin?”

“Empty Castles Zhong and Chou to reinforce them. If we send word now, they will arrive six hours before the Southern Citadel reinforcements, and their combined forces should be enough to blunt Yuchun’s spears and send him running. From there, they can retreat together in strength while the reinforcements settle in to rest and wait, giving them the advantage should Yuchun choose to pursue and fight.”

There were already plans in place to burn all nine castles to the ground, and if it should come to this, then Ryo Dae Jung could even set Castle JiangHu ablaze from outside the walls, but... this was too weighty a decision for her to make on her own. Making excuses about her need to retire early, she scurried off the stage before realizing her mistake, one she’d made all too often of late. Professing weakness as an Imperial Servant or Consort was all fine and well, but as the stand-in Legate of the Outer Provinces, she needed to present a position of strength. Worse, no one had insisted she stay, or even done much more than wave her concerns aside, as if her presence, the interim Legate’s presence, wasn’t even necessary.

Less than a week had passed since Lord Husband set out for Castle JiangHu. How had she managed to fritter away so much of his power base in such a short time?

Leaving Liu Xuande to make his way over by carriage, Luo-Luo rode sweet Mafu back to their borrowed manor, where Lord Husband was already resting after being carried in under the cover of Concealment hours before the army returned. His carriage was still out on the plains and under heavy guard, but only because Mother-in-Law Sarnai wanted blood and was using the carriage as bait. She was still out there even now, to better sell the story that Lord Husband was still resting inside, but Sister-in-Law Alsantset, Mila, Yan, Li-Li, and Lin-Lin were all asleep in the manor. Thankfully, Mother-in-Law Akanai was still awake, but unfortunately, Sorya informed Luo-Luo that the steely woman was not in the manor, but rather out and about settling some problem or another. There were many military matters Luo-Luo was still unfamiliar with, though she imagined that even the hardiest of soldiers and bravest of warriors would need watching after an arduous battle like the one they’d just experienced, so she left word for Liu Xuande to wait here and rode Mafu out once more.

Luckily, her Death Corps guards were aware of Mother-in-Law Akanai’s whereabouts so she followed their lead as they jogged alongside sweet Mafu’s steady gait. In no time whatsoever, Luo-Luo found the formidable woman barking orders at hordes of Irregulars standing in queue, impatiently waiting their turn to speak with the Khishigs taking notes up front. Seeing her arrive, Mother-in-Law Akanai’s beautiful blue eyes lit up in appreciation, the most overt show of emotion Luo-Luo had ever received from her. “Good, good,” she said, bodily helping Luo-Luo off of Mafu before absently patting both quin and rider on the head. “Your help would be much appreciated. These Warriors will require new billets befitting their status, and I know not where to find it.”

Billets? Warriors? Double checking to make sure her eyes weren’t deceiving her, she saw every last person in queue was wearing the bright blue tabards that marked them as Irregulars. Many of their outfits were torn and stained beyond recognition, but when gathered together, it was clear these were all commoners, not Warriors as Mother-in-Law stated.

...Unless she too had been stricken by Lord Husband’s over-generous tendencies.

“Calm yourself girl.” Lips pursed in wry amusement, Mother-in-Law Akanai said, “No need to clutch your purse-strings so tight. These Warriors will fight beneath little Rain’s banner, but the Khishigs will bear the burden of these costs for him. It is only right, after I made him pay for his first retinue’s wages. I do not believe he ever forgave me for that.” Seeing Luo-Luo’s confusion, Mother-in-Law tilted her head and added, “A story for another time, perhaps. There is much to be done if we are to sign and settle all these Warriors before the vultures swoop in to pick at the stragglers.”

“These... Warriors?”

“Indeed.” Switching to Sending, Mother-in-Law explained what happened after the storm broke overhead, and Luo-Luo was filled with wonder. “I can not claim to understand it,” Mother-in-Law concluded, turning to gaze off in the distance, “But they are Warriors newly forged, and devoted to the boy, one and all, so I would be a fool to let others profit in our stead.” Switching back to speaking out loud, she added, “So, about those lodgings?”

“The military barracks in the heart of the Citadel sit empty,” Luo-Luo supplied, signalling for Gunan to get the process started. “Not the most lavish of settings, but better than what they have here.” Being commoners, the Irregulars had been billeted wherever they might fit, including warehouses, stables, and buildings next to midden heaps where no one else cared to sleep.

“It will have to do for now then,” Mother-in-Law said, and Luo-Luo wasn’t sure if she was imagining the relief in her tone, likely because it wouldn’t cost her a single copper to set these newfangled Warriors up in the barracks. “At least they will be close to the training grounds, an added benefit to this arrangement. Now, is there a reason why you have come out to see me?”

“Yes, Mother-in-Law, but...” Catching on immediately, Mother-in-Law put up a Sound Barrier, or at least Luo-Luo presumed she did since she paused before nodding. “This one seeks Mother-in-Law’s guidance with respect to Liu Xuande’s concerns regarding the second line.”

“Mhm.” Jaw set in an unreadable expression, Mother-in-Law Akanai studied Luo-Luo closely. “You believe his arguments hold merit?”

By the Heavens this woman was intimidating, her casual gaze stripping Luo-Luo bare and leaving her vulnerable and exposed. What would Lord Husband do here? Oh how she wished she had the benefit of his guidance...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A buzz stirs me from my blank stupor, and I find a cell phone sitting on the cubicle desk, all lit up with alerts and messages. Picking it up without thinking, I see all of Luo-Luo’s internalized distress laid bare. Silly girl. She is more competent than almost anyone I know, yet still she can’t find the confidence to believe in herself. I should help her out, not only because she deserves a farewell too, but also because I’ll never be able to sever all ties with the mortal world if I don’t, because I’ll regret treating her so poorly.

She doesn’t love me, and I don’t love her. I know this now, and I suspect she knows it too, deep down in her heart of hearts. She does admire me though, just as I admire her, and perhaps in time, this mutual admiration might have blossomed into love...

Yea right. That’s wistful thinking for sure. Why would someone as beautiful and brilliant as Luo-Luo fall in love with a scrub like me?

Tapping the phone screen brings up a keyboard, and I type in the three, simple words she needs to hear. Once that is done, I hesitate and wonder if I should say anymore, but I can’t find the words just yet. Instead, I put the phone to sleep and place it back on my desk, before seeking out the emptiness once more.

Soon enough, I will figure this out and sever all hope, all regret, all desire, and more. Then, and only then, will I finally find peace.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Believe in yourself.

“Yes,” she said, before repeating herself with more certainty. “Yes. The time and manpower spent reinforcing and resupplying the second line could be much better spent repairing the harbour and putting up a seawall to ensure the next naval attack is not so successful.”

“What will you tell the people of the Empire? We have won a great victory today, but to withdraw might send the message that even this was not enough to hold back the Defiled tide.”

“We spin it as our original goal all along, to relieve pressure on the second line so we can safely withdraw.” The more Luo-Luo thought about it, the more it made sense. “The Wall was designed from the ground up to facilitate the speedy delivery of soldiers and supplies, especially with Lord Husband’s grand thoroughfare in the works. This is the optimal decision, and abandoning the castles now means we only risk Castle JiangHu and Castle Wulin falling into the Enemy’s grasp.”

Mother-in-Law Akanai stayed silent for several minutes before letting out a small sigh. “I understand battle,” she began, catching Luo-Luo off-guard with the seemingly nonsensical declaration. “I understand the flow of combat and tracking one’s quarry. I understand supply lines and scouting patterns, tallying the costs of equipment and maintenance, but what you and Liu Xuande speak of... I am unable to comprehend, but I believe if you are concerned, then it is worth acting on. Even Sarnai does not wholly understand, but she too shares my faith in your abilities. The boy picked you as his voice for good reason, so we would be foolish to ignore your suggestions.” Nodding slowly, she added, “If you believe this is the best course of action, then I will back you, and woe befall anyone who dares stand against us.”

Relief flooded through Luo-Luo as she pressed her hands together and bowed. “Thank you, Mother-in-Law.”

“Bah.” Clapping Luo-Luo on the shoulder, Mother-in-Law Akanai offered a frightening smile and said, “What thanks are needed between family? The billets are settled?” Again, Luo-Luo was caught off-guard, this time by the sudden shift in topic. After relaying her query through a Death Corps Guard and receiving a confirmation from Gunan, Luo-Luo nodded in reply to Mother-in-Law Akanai’s query. “Good, good,” she said, gently directing Luo-Luo back onto Mafu. “Then off with you now, girl. Go collect the boy’s War Council, and send word when you are ready. There is much to do before I am able to rest, and I grow cantankerous when denied my bed for too long.”

As she rode away, Luo-Luo was still awed by how easily Mother-in-Law Akanai had been swayed, all because she believed in Luo-Luo’s abilities. Glancing towards the manor where Lord Husband was resting, she realized it was the same direction Mother-in-Law Akanai had turned when speaking of the miracle regarding the Irregulars. Thousands of common men and women had marched out to war, and almost a third returned as Martial Warriors. Granted, even more didn’t return, but such was the way of battle and bloodshed, and she could hardly even imagine how the people would react once word of this miracle spread.

The Irregulars, the commoners who fought for their Legate Falling Rain, had been Blessed and baptized by the falling rain and transformed into holy Warriors. Whatever the truth of the matter might be, Luo-Luo would use this version of events to her advantage, and with a little luck, this might give her all the influence she needed to keep the outer provinces from tearing themselves apart through infighting.

Hopefully, she wouldn’t have to hold them together for long, because once Lord Husband awakened, she wholeheartedly believed he would work another miracle and perhaps even lead the Empire to victory against the Defiled, for he was the Legate, Falling Rain, her Lord Husband and the man who would father her future children. This was the truth, for she would make it so, no matter the cost or obstacle.

Chapter Meme