Chapitre 45: Book I, Act VII: Back to Square One, Chapter VI
Edited by: Bieverdog AO3: GalavantingGoose
Book I, Imbalance
Act VII: Back to Square One
Music: Nagekino Okano Kiseki / Amon Legend of Korra OST
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN1y1HGMzw4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPi_0kmooEw
Chapter VI
"I cannot spend another day here." Zuko shoved the tray of steaming food he had been brought.
Senshi, the Royal Physician, sat beside him. "You've been doing fine so far Your Majesty, it's not like you cannot attend to your affairs from the clinic." His coal eyes were filled with concern behind his half-moon spectacles as he scratched his black, phoenix-tail beard in thought.
Zuko looked down. In a way, he was disappointed with himself; on the other hand, he feared his ministers would start talking behind his back. It would only be a matter of time until the people realized what happened to him… He feared anyone would take the opportunity; so, being a weak Fire Lord was the last thing he could afford. "They cannot see me like this anymore. Just give me something for the pain; you can check on me regularly at the palace."
The doctor smiled as he politely shoved the tray into Zuko's hands. "They won't see you like this; and no, I will not simply give you something for the pain. It will only be a little bit longer, then you can go back to those meetings you love so much."
One of his guards entered the room, and he cleared his voice. "Fire Lord, excuse me; Advisor Fang has just arrived from the Earth Kingdom; he asked if he could personally give you the news he brings."
"He may. Bring him here."
A lean, tall man entered and bowed, followed closely by Zuko's men. His amber eyes shone with youthful confidence. "Your Majesty, I am glad to see you are in good health. It's an honor to meet you." The Fire Lord waved the guards away.
The doctor stood beside him with his hands behind his back. "I would say… better. He still needs time to rest, but I will allow this."
Zuko glared at Senshi, who left. "Advisor Fang, I've heard many good things about you. What news do you bring from Ba Sing Se?"
He stood up, smoothing his beard. "You must have already heard that Kuei has negated any responsibility and condemned the attack on your life. But before this terrible incident, we managed to strike an agreement with the Earth Kingdom government. We returned the captives as you demanded, and they have committed to pursuing those affiliated to this vile group. I'm sure that this recent situation will give them even a greater motivator to show some results."
Zuko tapped his fingers against the tray. "That's good. What did you offer them in exchange? I doubt their compromise came for free."
He smiled, taking a step closer. "Your Majesty is very perceptive. Indeed, I offered them the possibility of loaning some of our gold in exchange for some interest. I'm aware that our reserves are still plentiful and are bound to be increased due to the decrease in our military's budget." The man's smile sobered. "As you may have heard, the situation in Ba Sing Se is dire."
Zuko raised an eyebrow. "Do you know how much we have exactly in our treasury right now?"
He nodded confidently. "I correspond with Minister Lee; so, yes. About one ton if I remember correctly. Besides, the late Imperial Secretary once entrusted me with the task of overseeing our finances abroad among other matters. I'm well aware of the revenue we generated while I was in charge of it."
"Impressive. A man of many talents I see."
"I wouldn't say so, Your Majesty; I never work alone."
"Then who do you work with?"
"Well, my colleagues are to be congratulated as much as I am for my achievements."
"Of course… Now back to the situation. Be blunt; how bad is it?" Zuko mentally braced himself.
His eyes were grim. "It may be worse than you think. There are protests daily on the streets, though they don't last long before they are put down by the King's guard. Without the Dai Li, they've been spread thin throughout the city, and common soldiers patrol the streets. I'm afraid they behave no better than bandits, as their pay is meager. So far, only the Upper Ring has been devoid of any conflict–that is, until recently... Many of the inhabitants of the city still haven't had their homes rebuilt.
"The situation has worsened with all the refugees that had arrived in the city during the war. There's not enough jobs to go around, not enough food. Some of our aid has been put to good use; but I am afraid a part of it didn't go to the King's treasury. There's even rumors of open rebellion among the Si Wong tribes."
The Fire Lord nodded then furrowed his brow. "Has King Kuei done anything besides reactive measures? Negotiations, anything?"
Fang almost imperceptibly shrugged. "We have tried our best to gain more insight into the matter, but I'm afraid the doors of the Jade Palace are shut tight for us. We mainly deal with the king's envoy's some time or the other, or with a minister or general."
Zuko shook his head in disbelief. "Why? Why would he keep us out when the city is falling to pieces?"
The advisor held out a hand in agreement. "Well, that's precisely why, Your Majesty. I'm afraid most of the Earth Kingdom elite are weary of our presence in the Capital; besides, we have become a scapegoat of sorts for all the grievances of the city."
"What do I have to do to prove that we've moved on from the war?" He looked down, trying to contain his frustration. To no avail. In a fit, he threw the tray of food to the ground. "Augh! Do I have to kowtow in front of him like an idiot?!"
Fang tried not to react, but he did purse his lips at the outburst. "Certainly not, Your Majesty; you've always done everything in your power to aid them. Going even further beyond that would anger our own citizens. They know we are trying to help; we are just a convenient excuse at the moment. As soon as their problems fade away, I'm confident things will return to normal."
Zuko propped his head in his hands for a moment. "...I think, for now, tell them we'll give them whatever assistance they need; but I am putting you in sole charge of it. If anything looks out of place, say the word, and it's gone. Which reminds me… I am offering you the position of Imperial Secretary, effective immediately."
Fang was taken aback, but he cleared his voice. "It's… a great honor, Your Majesty. I'll serve you faithfully."
"Good. Now go make sure some Earth Kingdom bureaucrats don't waste our money. Your new office will be waiting for you."
As the new Imperial Secretary left, he sighed and looked to the ceiling. The Earth Kingdom was not out of the water yet; and he feared what his ministers had speculated before had come true. Even though Long Feng was gone, the power vacuum he left had likely allowed for others to make their bid for control. Even though he had been a tyrant, he couldn't deny that the man had managed to keep everything under control.
Now the city burned; and they were all pointing at each other. Or perhaps their people weren't as united as he thought they were; after all, it was made up of various cities, kingdoms, and tribes. Once united in purpose for their common hatred for the Fire Nation, they had fallen back to squabbling amongst themselves once the threat was gone. The worst of it all was that it was likely Kuei was blissfully unaware of it all. Either way, there was little more he could do other than try his best to offer his help.
***
During his time conscious at the clinic, Zuko had wasted no time in ordering his paperwork be sent there. At least, his doctor hadn't prevented him from that kind of work. Mai would've certainly frowned upon it, but he needed something to keep his mind occupied. He went over some of the measures they had talked about in his last meeting, but he put the paper down when he realized Senshi was looking from a corner.
The doctor walked closer and looked at him like a child bending his first flame. "See? You can do your job just fine from here."
Sitting in his bed, Zuko was jitterish. "That was just one meeting. I probably have a pile of paperwork waiting for me."
"I believe that's another thing you could perfectly do here as well, but I merely ask you to be patient." He wished it was as easy as that. They'd all come to visit him, schmoozing him by wishing him good health and a fast recovery. At that point, he felt for certain they hoped for the opposite.
Zuko crossed his arms. "Is there anything I can do here besides sit in a chair?"
The doctor smirked. "You can heed my medical advice in a chair."
He gave him a straight face. "Ha, ha. Very funny."
A guard looked into the room and approached. "Fire Lord, I'm sorry to interrupt you… Colonel Mak is here."
Zuko almost got up from his chair in excitement. "Mak? Send him in. Would you mind, doctor?"
There was slight disagreement in his voice. "Of course, Your Majesty."
Mak bowed. It had been a while since he had seen a stained uniform. It seemed to him that he had just returned from his journey. "Fire Lord, I came as soon as I heard the news. How are you feeling?"
"I've been better; but don't worry about me. Tell me; did you see her?"
"She was there. Tsume gave us a tour around the facilities. I stayed there longer to make sure he was telling the truth. She looks healthy."
He leaned in. "Could you speak to her?"
Mak looked sideways, as if confused. "I did once, but her response made no sense. Tsume told me it was still common for her to have relapses. Other than that, she looked happy there."
He furrowed his brow, confused. "Happy?"
The colonel looked straight into his eyes. He could sense a tinge of uncertainty in his voice. "Yes, she smiled frequently, waved at us, and spoke kindly to the nurses. I was puzzled for a while, given your description of her; but the doctor assured me that the treatment had a positive effect on her personality."
Zuko looked down in concern. It certainly didn't sound like the Azula he knew. "That's hard for me to imagine. Did she have anything else to say at all?"
"No, not really, Fire Lord. …I did my own investigations. As I told you in my letters It turns out there really was a fire; but apparently, it started outside then spread inside the compound. Most of the staff weren't there the day of the fire. I had trouble trying to find someone who was. I didn't get the chance to speak to any of the other patients either. I would have liked to stay longer to investigate the matter fully."
"Wait; you thought there might have been more to investigate?"
"For one, I'd've liked to get the testimony of someone who had been there the day of the fire. Like I said, I just couldn't find anyone."
Zuko shook his head. "You should have stayed…"
Mak widened his eyes. "But Your Majesty–"
He banged the armrest, frustrated; and Mak lowered his gaze. "Can't you see that I'm fine already? Sung has everything under control here now."
"But I could aid the investigation, sir. Your safety is–"
Zuko glared at him, his tone harsh. "I will hear none of it. You were given a task; return until you have no questions to be answered. That's an order."
"Un-understood, Your Majesty." He bowed. As Mak left, Zuko sighed; he had only gotten more questions than answers. Would he need a special investigator to investigate his special investigator's investigation? He laughed ruefully, then supported himself with the frame of the bed to get up; days of lying in bed had left his body cramped and weak. He wobbled as he tried to walk; and before he could fall, he placed his hands on the nightstand. He clenched his fists with impotence; he felt useless. A figurehead of a Fire Lord swept up in a storm of political machinations and posturing.
Senshi walked in, rushing towards him to help. "Your Majesty, what are you–"
Zuko pushed him away. "I won't stay here a second longer. Guards!"
They ran inside, at first concerned, but stood firm. "Yes, Fire Lord?"
"Bring the palanquin bearers. I'm going to the palace."
The soldier nodded. "As you wish, Your Majesty."
The doctor stepped in front of his path. "Please, Your Majesty, I implore you as your physician. You are not well yet."
A guard held out an arm. "Step aside."
The man sighed through his teeth. "Pardon my bluntness, but it's your funeral."
Zuko glared at him. "You'll tend to me in the palace if it's necessary; I don't get the luxury of rest."
Senshi tried to hide his lip-biting, bowing his head slightly. "I will do as you ask, Fire Lord." As Zuko left with the help of his guards, the procession moved slowly towards the palace. He slid the curtain open as they neared the gates. People had already gathered to see him, standing behind a line of guards cheering for him.
He looked away, worried. He was vulnerable; they couldn't see him that way. He called over one of his guards. "Get these people away from the gates, all of them."
"We're doing all we can at the moment." The soldier tilted his head. "Pardon my curiosity, but they are ecstatic to see you. Why send them away?"
"Three times already someone has tried to kill me; is that reason enough for you? Pull more guards from the rest of the palace if you have to."
"Pardon me. Right away, sir." More guards came running out of the gates, pushing the crowds further back as they moved forward and away from any curious eyes. Under no circumstances would he allow to be seen so weak; he had barely even managed to stand upright. What would the people think if word got out? Refusing to give it another thought he even avoided any welcome from the palace staff.
The servant held her hands. "Your Majesty, will you attend the meeting, or should we prepare your bedroom?"
He narrowed his eyes. "What meeting?"
She looked to the others for an answer, finally raising her gaze to Zuko's. "I thought you knew… Your ministers arrived an hour ago for it."
His nostrils flared. "I couldn't have known because I was trying to recover from another assassination attempt! Why didn't anyone call it off?" Only three days in bed, and they were already meeting behind his back? Being Fire Lord felt like an uphill battle. Just when he thought some of his problems were going away, they could always get worse.
He limped to the throne room followed by his guards, who opened the doors for him as he passed. He glared at the guards stationed there, and they were too stunned to even announce him. The silence in the room spoke for him. The ministers that had gathered around stood back and bowed. "What is the meaning of this?" His voice echoed around the now dead silent room.
Renhao stood up to face him. "I apologize, Fire Lord; we didn't want to disturb you for a minor discussion. I thought it best to bring you a summary of it for you to decide later on the best courses of action to take."
He looked down on all of those gathered. Most averted his gaze. "I don't recall giving any of you permission to have a meeting."
Renhao tried to calm him down, little did it help. "You know how this is, Your Majesty; some matters really cannot wait to be resolved."
"Like what?"
"Like the pay we could give to the militias you proposed, their training time, and equipment they'll be allowed to use. Of course, Your Majesty would have the last say on it. Since you've arrived, can we now continue? It really is a matter that must be settled as soon as possible."
He scoffed. "Yes, let's settle it then. I have an announcement to make myself: I've chosen Advisor Fang to be the successor of the late Secretary Jing. He managed to broker a new deal with the Earth Kingdom. We'll loan ten million silver pieces to the king, though we must settle on an interest rate. I'm sure we could settle that matter today as well."
Renhao could barely hide her surprise; he couldn't say the same about the others. "Those are… some interesting developments. Yes, surely we could discuss them as well."
Minister Lee cleared his voice. "Fire Lord, even though I trust your judgment and that of Advisor Fang, it's an exorbitant amount. What's the guarantee the Earth Kingdom will keep their word; besides, we'll also need part of the budget to pay these new militias."
"I thought we agreed on cutting expenses from the armed forces. You will use that to pay the temporary militias. Helping to rebuild the Earth Kingdom is in our best interests; I'm sure you all know they are in a precarious situation. The sooner they can get Ba Sing Se rebuilt the better." The stark silence in the room told him all he needed to know.
Lee fixed his glasses as he gestured. "Military reductions take time to implement. We still need funds for the salaries of our officers and enlistees set to retire and converting our military bases to civilian uses. Also, ships and logistical support functions. It's a lot more complicated than a few strokes of a brush."
"Then we shall use the funds from the treasury. Our reserves remain full; this will only be a minor price to pay in the long run."
The minister widened his eyes. "Fire Lord, dare I say, our reserves remain full because our policy has always been to be careful enough not to splurge unnecessarily and–"
"And the spoils of war helped keep the treasury afloat, I imagine? Are we going to ignore that we'll be loaning them their own money?" Lee averted his eyes.
Renhao stood up again. "Fire Lord, has the royal exchequer had time to review this proposal? We need details, numbers. We can't go rushing into this if we don't know how it's going to be spent."
He gave her an impassive look. "Then send a copy to him already. He should have a report ready by the end of the week. I believe you should be aware of the numbers already, Minister Lee. Surely, you have some reasonable suggestions."
Lee cleared his voice. "I think anything less than a yearly three-percent rate would be unreasonable. The aid we have sent should have been more than enough to produce some results; and yet, Ba Sing Se still remains in disrepair. And even if these extra funds are put to good use, I highly doubt they'll repay them."
"I guess we'll see what happens. Now, let's discuss what arrangements you have in mind for the militias."
The man thought for a moment. "Enough funds to cover their equipment, training, direction, and wages; I'd say about a hundred-fifty silver per militia member. But with those numbers, I don't know if the treasury would be able to handle it on its own."
"Very well, have the colonies absorb half of the expenses. That will be all."
Qing raised a finger. "But–"
"I said that will be all. Dismissed." The ministers bowed and walked away; only Renhao stood bowing.
"Fire Lord, I–"
"There's no excuse for what you've done, Renhao; go now." She bowed and left with all the others as Zuko remained in the throne room alone. His eyes centered on the throne as he sighed.
***
As Zuko sat in his room, his heart pounded and his mind raced. Another assassination, another contentious meeting. Was he really fit for it? Should he run to Iroh and tell him to take over as regent while he figured out how to be a competent ruler? Had his father been right all along? He fought back the need to cry. Few could understand the burden he has on his shoulders.
He pulled out his dagger and let it gleam in the moonlight. Although the blade was new, the characters were the same. He had memorized them years before; and he would never forget. "How many more?" How many more fights? He chuckled humorlessly; did he have the strength to take any more? He sat on his bed, exhausted, still in pain. It would be another sleepless night.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone