Savage Divinity – Chapter 618

 

“Heavy lies the head which wears the crown.”

 

There would come a day when Luo-Luo grew accustomed to Lord Husband’s moments of poignant brilliance, but today was not that day. Delivered with the solemn dignity of a troubled man as he stood over the war table, there were a multitude of complexities hidden within the simple verse and Luo-Luo was of the mind to try and capture its multifaceted meaning in calligraphy. The evocative phrase played against common misconceptions, for those without power dreamed of having it, and those who wore crowns to represent said power were only ever seen with heads held high. To do any less would be undignified, yet here, Lord Husband referenced the weight represented by those same crowns, the many troubles and duties which went hand in hand with authority and obligation. By remarking on this discrepancy, Lord Husband was noting how power in and of itself was not necessarily a reward, and that he would be much happier if he were relieved of his burden and divested of his ‘crown’, free to return to his previous station as a ‘mere’ Minister of Finance.

 

Heavy lies the head indeed, for the fate of the outer provinces now sat firmly upon his shoulders.

 

As Legate, Lord Husband could now move heaven and earth with but a single command, wielding power on a scale most people could only dream of. Unlike most, he saw this as more curse than blessing, for he was a good man, one teetering beneath the weight of the potential consequences to his actions, consequences many others would deem… not inconsequential, but acceptable. It wasn’t fear of failure which plagued his nightmares, but rather concern for those adversely affected by his choices, and he refused to proceed without ‘considering all angles’, as he so aptly put it. Though he could simply order one of the Marshals or Lieutenant Colonels to obey his commands, he preferred to rule by committee rather than the iron fist, and admirable though his intentions might be, it was thus far proving to not be the most effective leadership option available.

 

Take for example the dilemma before them today, a military decision which two Colonel Generals believed could turn the tides of war against the Enemy. From what Luo-Luo had gleaned while waiting to make her daily report with Liu Xuande, Southern and Northern forces were holding firmly at the second line, but Hongji’s forces were faltering along the central position, where the Enemy had concentrated over half their attacking soldiers. Colonel General Nian Zu submitted a proposal not even an hour after Lord Husband’s ascension, an ambitious gambit to commit most of the Imperial Forces to an all-out counter-attack. Initially, every other Colonel General objected to their Northern counterpart’s plan, and Lord Husband rejected it citing the wholesale opposition as his reason, but five days later, Colonel General Shuai Jiao resubmitted Colonel General Nian Zu’s initial plan with a few ‘minor’ adjustments, alongside a strong ‘recommendation’ that they go through with the plan as soon as possible, lest this ‘golden opportunity’ slipped through their fingers. Colonel General Shuai Jiao even hinted that the ‘inexperienced’ Legate would be best served by ‘heeding the advice of his most loyal servants’, a statement which bordered on insolent when delivered through written missive, rather than in person.

 

A calculated insult, no doubt, one designed to put Lord Husband in his place and present no target to vent his frustrations on. Colonel General Shuai Jiao likely expected Lord Husband to roll over and give in or refuse out of hand, either of which would give him the upper hand in future discussions, but instead, Lord Husband paid no mind to the condescending tone of the Colonel General’s missive and was carefully envisioning how the battle plan might play out. The table held a scale map of the Western Wall and the lands beyond, with many a miniature meant to portray the positions of thousands of soldiers or Defiled each, and Lord Husband was busy shifting them around in ways Luo-Luo couldn’t entirely follow. The plan seemed simple enough at its core, to pull the centre back from the second lines to draw the Defiled out, giving the Northern and Southern forces the chance to collapse on the overstretched Enemy offensive.

 

Except clearly, Lord Husband didn’t believe the tactic would play out as planned, because when he moved the Defiled pieces, they didn’t pursue the retreating Central forces, but instead turned on North and South. Shaking his head as he stood back to take in the entire table, Lord Husband sighed and said, “It’s a trap, plain and simple. I don’t understand why Shuai Jiao and Nian Zu are so eager to step foot in it.”

 

His declaration elicited a rude snort from one of the three Officers present in the room, Brigadier Yari Hagane, father of Yari Tetsudo whom Li-Li defeated during Shen Zhen Wu’s banquet of heroes. A staunch supporter of Colonel General Mitsue Juichi, Brigadier Hagane was Lord Husband’s Central military liaison, and carefully toed the line between blunt and insolent. No offence was meant by his gruff soldier’s demeanour, he would often plead, saying surely the Legate would understand, given his… history.

 

It was always said just like that, with the pointed pause to draw attention to something no one dared mention in his presence, that Lord Husband was once a slave and therefore unworthy of his Office. A small part of Luo-Luo agreed, not out of disdain, but sheer practicality, because if Shen ZhenWu had known of Lord Husband’s past, she was almost completely certain history would have played out differently. Now, a former slave had been raised to Imperial Peerage and stood higher than anyone else in the outer provinces, an ‘affront’ many Imperial Scions and outer provincial nobles would see as a direct insult to their illustrious lineages.

 

Well too bad for them. Lord Husband’s past did nothing to diminish his lofty accomplishments, and in some ways made them even more impressive, or at least that’s how Luo-Luo felt. No longer was he a Bekhai princeling, but a rescued orphan who took his first step along the Martial Path less than a decade ago. Not only did he also learn to read around the same time, he had since developed into a brilliant researcher and mathematician who devised his own system of numerals. Which clan, family, sect, or faction had an individual who could match even half of Lord Husband’s achievements? None of them, that’s who, and Luo-Luo’s respect for her talented Lord Husband rose several notches higher once she overcame her shock.

 

A shame so many people felt otherwise. It seemed so silly to fixate on a person’s past, but to some, once a slave, always a slave, and a slave was not worthy of respect, even if said former slave was brave enough to stand up to Imperial Scions and Defiled Divinities alike.

 

“Something to say, Brigadier?” Without turning his head away from the war table, Lord Husband answered Yari Hagane’s derision with mockery of his own. “I sense your gruff mannerisms flaring up again, so you might as well share your opinion before it seeps out at an inopportune time.”

 

“With all due respect, Imperial Legate,” the painted Warrior began, his powdered face and drawn eyebrows looking comically aggressive in lantern light, “Every Colonel General of the Empire has served in the army for longer than you have lived. Between Nian Zu and Shuai Jiao, they have more than two centuries of experience on you, assuming you started learning tactics on the teat. It would be best if you left the tactics to those trained for it, and simply trusted the Colonel Generals’ assessments.”

 

“If that’s the case, why are the other three Colonel Generals hesitant to support this proposal?” Politics was the answer to Lord Husband’s sarcastic question, but Brigadier Hagane could hardly admit as much. Neither Ryo Dae Jung nor Mitsue Juichi cared for Shuai Jiao and Nian Zu’s collaboration, since an alliance with a foreign Colonel General gave the much celebrated Shuai Jiao even more power than he already held, standing head and shoulders above his peers despite their equal ranks. If Lord Husband were to take issue with their silence, he could easily order Ryo Dae Jung and Mitsue Juichi drawn up on charges, but the polite thing to do was to overlook minor political maneuvering, and not voicing support for an opponent’s plan could hardly even be counted as such. Technically, by not voicing opposition for this plan as they had with Nian Zu’s initial proposal, the two Central Colonel Generals were tacitly agreeing with this battle plan, while only the Southern Colonel General actively voiced his objections, stating that the risks outweighed the reward and that their best course was to hold the line.

 

Without additional reinforcements from the South of course. Central would just have to miraculously get by on their own somehow, because the South was unwilling to sacrifice Southern soldiers while Central Warriors were resting on their laurels. Even in unity, there was dissent, and Luo-Luo saw no choice but to accept these terms and pray the South would remain true to the Empire. At the very least, if they intended to rebel, she hoped they would at least have the decency to wait until Lord Husband was no longer Legate. According to him, Shen ZhenWu had concerns that the South might withdraw long before Lord Husband donned this mantle, and thus far, Luo-Luo had yet to discern how Southern Marshal Quyen Huong felt about taking orders from someone of Lord Husband’s… humble origins.

 

Since Brigadier Hagane had no answer for Lord Husband, he turned to the other two Officers in the room. Major General Han BoHai and Major General Inthavong could not be any more different, the former a hulking bear of a man with porcelain cheeks hidden beneath a robust beard, while the latter a slight, slender, whip of a warrior whose dark-skinned features were entirely devoid of hair save for two thick, bushy eyebrows. Together, the three men made up Lord Husband’s war council, a term which had been met with less-than-polite disdain, for war was not conducted by council. Though barely a Warrior herself, Luo-Luo wholeheartedly approved of his actions, because there was really no winning for Lord Husband here. As Legate, his was the hand which guided the swords of the Empire, but as Brigadier Hagane had so rudely pointed out, Lord Husband’s subordinates all had more experience than he had years alive, and would hardly take kindly to his commands.

 

Such were the sins of pride, as they were. Though they were all on the same side, Luo-Luo admitted to taking some small measure of glee from Colonel General Nian Zu’s reaction when Lord Husband refused his proposal the first time. The Living Legend’s throat still bore a reddish line where the Confessor’s sword had opened his throat, yet he had already convinced himself that Lord Husband would be little more than a figurehead to control and command. This just showed that even close allies had to be guarded against, for good intentions could result in grave harm and any consequences would be born by Lord Husband, not Nian Zu or anyone else.

 

Grimacing as he stared at the board, Major General Han BoHai hesitated before gesturing at the jumbled mess before him. “Your movements illustrate the worst case scenario, a disaster for the Imperial forces, but to achieve such a thing, the Enemy would have to work in perfect coordination with no margin for error.” Silently requesting permission to rearrange the board, the bear of a Major General gingerly shuffled the pieces about until it more or less was back to where it began, as an accurate representation of their current forces in the field. “See here?” he asked, moving Central’s forces to depict a retreat, after which the Defiled pieces gave chase before splitting up to meet the oncoming Northern reinforcements. “It is unrealistic to expect the Defiled to maneuver so perfectly as to cut off and isolate large swathes of our forces. To do so, they would have to know how our forces are arranged well in advance, which would be impossible so long as we take adequate measures.”

 

“The Enemy coordinated a multi-province assault on the Northern, Western, and Southern Walls,” Lord Husband retorted, obviously unconvinced by the Major General’s conclusion. “I doubt keeping track of troop movements along a single front is beyond their abilities. You forget, the Enemy commander possesses skills we do not yet wholly understand, including the ability to command all his forces from vast distances, likely with little to no delay for messages. For the first time in history, the Empire faces a foe more coordinated than ourselves, and it would be best we all remember this lest they teach us a lesson we won’t soon forget.” Scowling as he said the word, Lord Husband gestured at the table and shook his head. “We have yet to see our foe take an active role in the war, but as I’ve said before, I believe it’s because he’s using the extended conflict to temper his ‘Chosen’. However, if we launch an all-out counteroffensive like this, we would present a tempting target, perhaps too tempting for our foe to let pass.”

 

Choosing this moment to interject, Major General Inthavong repeated himself for the umpteenth time. “Staunch spears and sharpened sabres are enough to throw the Enemy back. Central’s soldiers must rise to the occasion, for the sons of the South are not without limit.”

 

Unlike the other provinces, women of the South were forbidden from fighting, and this male-centric mindset was pervasive throughout their entire culture. There was a time when Luo-Luo would have simply accepted things as they were, but now that she was a Martial Warrior in truth, she found this way of thinking overbearing and without basis. Yes, Martial Warriors were predominantly male, but female Martial Warriors were in no way inferior to their counterparts, as proven by the likes of Mother-in-Law Sarnai, Sister-in-Law Alsantset, Li-Li, Yan, Mila, and so many more. With the numbers of Martial Warriors already limited by the Heavens, it seemed foolish to arbitrarily limit them further based on gender alone, especially since the Mother Above was a woman Herself.

 

Luo-Luo had many a scathing remark regarding the South’s misogynistic practices, but this was neither the time nor place. Besides, Major General Inthavong had been nothing but cooly polite to Luo-Luo, the same with every other Southerner she had the fortune to meet, so she suspected there might be more to this ban on women Warriors than simple gender discrimination.

 

Oblivious to Luo-Luo’s thoughts, Brigadier Hagane responded to the Southern Major General’s implied criticism with predictable animosity. “There are twice as many Defiled pushing through the centre as there are on the southern flank, so I suppose it stands to reason that you’ve already met your limits while we are only now approaching ours. After all, one can hardly expect the Southern Sons to be as hardy as noble, Central Warriors.”

 

“How typical.” Subjecting Hagane with an icy sneer, Inthavong fired back. “A Central noble taking credit where none is deserved. Remind me, how many ‘noble’ Central Warriors are serving with Brigadier Hongji? Last I checked, the majority of officers serving on the front lines were of humble origins, toiling on the battlefield while their so-called betters bragged of honour and valour.”

 

“Enough.” Though uttered with casual ease, Lord Husband’s words contained more than a sliver of steel as he narrowed his eyes in reprimand, and Luo-Luo shuddered beneath the emotive assault. He did this quite often of late, infusing his voice with Chi to drive home his point, but it was clear he had little to no control over it. Offering Luo-Luo an apologetic half-smile, he turned to the chastised Officers and said, “When I spoke with your commanding officers, they assured me you three were able advisors who could offer me sound counsel, so that is what I am here for. Colonel General Shuai Jiao’s proposal presents too much risk for too little gain, because even if his plans go off without a hitch, all it does is secure the second line. However, considering the circumstances, I cannot reject his plans outright, since something must be done to reinforce our centre lest we lose the second line altogether, so I have called upon you three to advise me.” Pausing to make sure eye contact with each Officer in turn, Lord Husband asked, “Besides committing almost seventy percent of our forces to the field, what options do we have?”

 

For the first time since they gathered together, the three Officers united as one, trading looks of doubt and disbelief between them. Being most familiar with Lord Husband, Han BoHai was the first to speak up. “You do not understand what you ask of us, Legate. If it becomes known we spoke out against our superior officers, even if they themselves offer absolution, our comrades and subordinates will forever see us as faithless traitors. Even if I agreed with your opinion, I must stand by my superior officer, because unity is all that separates us from the Enemy.”

 

Snorting with his patented lack of reverence, Lord Husband rolled his eyes and said, “These days, the Enemy seems far more united than the Empire.” Scandalized by the statement, Inthavong pressed his palms together and offered a silent prayer to the Mother Above, while BoHai and Hagane merely shifted uncomfortably on their feet, no doubt wishing they were anywhere but here. Odd how so many saw Lord Husband as the man closest to the Mother Above, yet he had voiced doubts regarding Her existence, much less Her hallowed assistance. This from a man with a veritable Divine Turtle sleeping at his feet, her leathery head resting on his boot after a long day of running about with the other pets, many of whom were gathered around her and Lord Husband both.

 

Taking a deep breath, Lord Husband thought things through and tried a different tack. “Fine. I reject Colonel General Shuai Jiao’s proposal due to unacceptable levels of risk. Now, as my advisors, I would like you to advise me on a different course of action besides committing almost all of our forces for minimal gain. Is that enough to assuage your honour?”

 

Hardly, but the three Officers could hardly disobey a direct order, so they all gave their opinions one by one, debating the best course of action together which somehow led them back to Colonel General Shuai Jiao’s plan. Annoyed by the lack of progress, Lord Husband eventually made a decision no one was happy with, least of all himself. “Deploy another hundred and fifty thousand troops to the centre, two thirds of which are to be split equally between North and South, all to Colonel General Shuai Jiao’s specifications. I want the relief force marching for the second line come morning, and if they aren’t there within two and a half days, I’ll have every serving officer lashed for dereliction of duty.”

 

The last was delivered without heat or enthusiasm, but Lord Husband had already demonstrated his willingness to follow through with his threats. There were many arguments forthcoming from both BoHai and Inthavong, namely that Shuai Jiao would undoubtedly request the specialist soldiers each province had to offer, but Lord Husband was unmoved. “Southern infantry and Northern heavy cavalry are unmatched in the Empire, so it would only stand to reason the Colonel General would want their assistance.” Pausing to consider the numbers, Lord Husband looked up as if peering into his brain before nodding in agreement with himself. “Also, the latest group of irregulars should be done with their training, some ten-thousand total, so dispatch them to the centre as well. I’ll let you know more details once I go over the specifics with Zheng Luo and Xuande and figure out how many catapults we can spare.”

 

None of the advisors seemed heartened by the addition of Lord Husband’s irregulars, but Luo-Luo knew Brigadier Hongji would appreciate the extra hands. According to his missives, crossbows and catapults were inflicting massive numbers of casualties onto the Defiled forces, especially among the heavily armoured Chosen. Even Runic armour was no match for a 100kg projectile launched from over a kilometre away by one of Lord Husband’s ingenious counterweight catapults, and the Enemy had taken to targeting those ponderous weapons of war with a vengeance. There was still little talk regarding the value of Lord Husband’s irregulars, but Luo-Luo was confident historians would pinpoint them as one of the pivotal changes introduced by the young hero of the Empire, the first man raised to Imperial Peerage and a Living Legend in the making.

 

As soon as the room was cleared, Lord Husband plopped down on the ground and opened his arms for a cuddle. Aurie was the first to react, ready and waiting to throw himself into Lord Husband’s open arms the moment he noticed the strangers leaving. Mama Bun was a close second, bouncing off Aurie’s solid shoulder before venting her frustration with a series of lightning fast paw slaps, as if trying to dig her way through the wildcat’s fur and flesh to get to Lord Husband underneath. Beaming from ear to ear, he spent the next few minutes coddling his beloved pets, including the needy Divine Turtle who belatedly woke from her slumber. Odd for a creature of such power to desire something as simple as attention and affection, but then again, Luo-Luo knew firsthand how disheartening it was to feel neglected. Only half a week had passed since Lord Husband neatly navigated through the near disaster that was Yang Jixing and Zhu Chanzui, and so much had happened in such a short time. For starters, Lord Husband moved to the Central Citadel, where he was better located to oversee the war effort and ensure his orders were carried out with the utmost haste. Mother-in-Law Sarnai had come with him alongside a sizable contingent of Bekhai guards, led by none other than Lieutenant General Akanai herself. Li-Li and Lin-Lin were also here with them, though at the moment, they were busy sightseeing in the Citadel and scaring all the locals with Blackjack, Sarankho, Princess, and the entire flock of laughbirds, thanks to a circulating rumour that Lord Husband’s entire menagerie was made up of Divine Beast candidates.

 

One Luo-Luo set MuYang to circulating herself. Zhu Chanzui claimed to have killed three Divinities, but sweet Ping Ping sent him scurrying away with his tail between his legs, so even the Emperor might think twice if He believed Lord Husband had more than one Divine Beast…

 

Despite all the benefits sweet Ping Ping brought him, Lord Husband spent the entire journey to the Citadel complaining about the slow speed of their barge and lamenting the fact that he could no longer ride on Ping Ping’s back and travel between the Citadels at record speeds. Lin-Lin suggested they design a small boat for the Divine Turtle to pull, perhaps even with a kite trailing behind, but thankfully Mother-in-Law Sarnai convinced them to let the matter drop, since it would be unseemly to treat a Divinity like a beast of burden. Truth be told, though Luo-Luo agreed with the sentiment, she also knew Ping Ping would likely enjoy pulling Lord Husband along in a boat, since the sweet girl did love to swim, but hated having to separate from her most beloved person for long.

 

Despite the need to travel, Lord Husband had not been idle during their journey, and signed into effect a number of… controversial decrees. More funding for his irregulars to start with, and opening registration to all free commoners who wished to join them, as well as demanding each province either supply a set number of catapults and crossbows every week or double the value in raw materials. The Marshals acquiesced, because they had no reason to refuse since Lord Husband was paying for the war machines, which almost gave Luo-Luo a heart attack. In her panic, she reminded him out loud that printing more War Bonds required a consensus between the Minister of Coin, the Grand Marshal, and the Chief Justicar of Fraud, the latter of whom was under the purview of the Prime Minister.

 

Whose son had just died, arguably due to Lord Husband’s meddling, though she kept that last part to herself.

 

Thankfully, Lord Husband had things well in hand and never intended to rely on War Bonds to pay for this latest endeavour, and instead introduced a ‘scaling luxury tax’ on certain goods entering the Western Wall. Not only would this generate revenue, Lord Husband hinted that the Marshals would benefit even more if they were vigilant against smugglers, since this would allow them to seize entire shipments for carrying contraband. A less scrupulous person might even frame their rivals, Lord Husband had said, offering advice and threat with a sly smile of both friendship and warning, and Luo-Luo saw the Marshals each visibly sweat. Truly a devious man, one worthy of admiration, and Luo-Luo was even more certain he was destined for greatness.

 

All this was of course after reinstating his father as a Lieutenant General and offering blanket amnesty for anyone and everyone who took part in ‘the act of civil disobedience’, as he so eloquently put it, though how much weight his amnesty would hold without an Imperial Mandate was up for debate.

 

Finished with his cuddle session, Lord Husband came to his feet with Ping Ping in one arm and Mama Bun in the other, obviously struggling with the Divine Turtle’s weight and bulk but unwilling to compromise. “Sorry to keep you both waiting so long,” he said, his genuine sincerity winning him points with the all too capable but ultimately lowly Imperial Scion. “These war councils are worse than pulling teeth, but necessary. Since I don’t have an Imperial Sigil to wave about and give commands with the Emperor’s authority, I have to tread carefully and avoid upsetting too many people, lest I find myself committing suicide by way of a dagger to the back.”

 

Faced with this bold statement, Luo-Luo and Xuande both bowed and uttered, “No one would dare.” Even without an Imperial Sigil, Lord Husband was an Imperial Scion of high standing and the Commander of the Outer Provinces, so it would be treason for anyone, even a lofty Colonel General, to disobey his orders. It didn’t matter if the Emperor was incensed by Lord Husband’s actions, He would have no choice but to act swiftly and punish anyone who even dared to voice the possibility of disobeying the Legate, lest the Imperial Clan lose face. This was something Lord Husband knew, but didn’t wholly understand, and Luo-Luo feared he would never wholly grasp the concept of face even if he lived to be a thousand years of age. This was further evidenced by his adamant refusal to allow the dignity of his new station affect his general comfort, wearing the same, plain clothes he always favoured, though at least she managed to convince him to let her do his hair every morning and wear his armour for public appearances. This meant waking up each day at an ungodly hour since Lord Husband hardly seemed to sleep, but Luo-Luo rather enjoyed their quiet morning conversations, which seemed like the only time he ever had to spare these days, but she cherished what little she could get.

 

Right now though, they had business to discuss, and Luo-Luo let the dignified Scion take the lead. As proud as she was of her own skills, she knew she was outmatched by Xuande’s gifted talents. A former chief administrator for the Prime Minister’s office, he was overqualified to assist a mere Minister of Finance and wholly in his element as the Legate’s assistant. In the span of a few minutes, the soft-spoken man had outlined some fifteen critical matters which required Lord Husband’s attention while also suggesting the best course of action, and Lord Husband merely nodded along and agreed with everything Xuande said. Not because he wasn’t paying attention, but because the Imperial Scion was so thoroughly prepared, there was no need to deviate from his suggestions, especially since he’d given them no reason to mistrust him in their months working together. What’s more, Xuande behaved in a virtuous and genuine manner, treating everyone he met with from commoner to Colonel General with the utmost respect. The man had impeccable personal skills as well, having picked up on Lord Husband’s willingness to listen and appreciation for forthright honesty. In contrast, Luo-Luo had been with him for over a year and still treated him like a prideful noble who needed to be led to the right answers so he could feel in control. Lord Husband didn’t care about satisfying his ego by appearing self-important, and was more than happy to accept aid wherever he could find it, but even knowing this, Luo-Luo’s habits were ingrained into her and difficult to overcome.

 

Not so with Xuande, who in a few short days, managed to grasp everything required to ensure gold continued to fund the war effort without interruption. Now, they were discussing the possibility of introducing a minimum wage, but while Xuande and Luo-Luo both agreed with the idea on basic principle, it would be difficult to convince the Marshals of the necessity or enforce such a measure. Lord Husband also wanted to put an end to slavery, but he might as well ask for birds to stop flying or fish to stop swimming. He meant well, but his aspirations were unrealistic to the extreme and would only further alienate him from the true power base of the Empire, the nobles, Warriors, and merchants. At the end of the day, commoners simply lacked the military and financial power to enact change, even with crossbows and catapults to wield and someone like Lord Husband to champion them.

 

As their meeting came to an end, Luo-Luo inwardly lamented her passive part in today’s events and looked forward to playing the zither for him after dinner while he bathed in his borrowed manor. That was one of their new nightly rituals now, suggested by Lin-Lin of all people, and Lord Husband was happy to hear her play now that he believed her music might help unravel the mysteries of the Dao. There was some overlap between Luo-Luo’s evocative musical talents and Lord Husband’s ability to inspire and intimidate with words alone, and while he had yet to master the skill, he was inadvertently using it and studying her music to see if he could better understand it, but so far, there’d been no progress. Every now and then, he would simply utter a statement and it would send chills down Luo-Luo’s spine, like earlier when he spoke up to keep his council from tearing itself apart, or conversely, he’d tell Lin-Lin he loved her and her eyes would disappear into her smile as she was given conclusive proof of his feelings for her in the form of Loving Aura.

 

Just as Luo-Luo was about to bid Lord Husband farewell, he turned to Xuande, who was studying the war table, and asked, “Copper for your thoughts?” Smiling at their shared confusion, Lord Husband explained, “It’s an expression, meaning I value your thoughts and would care to hear them. You’ve glanced at the board more than once and look like you have something to say.”

 

Bowing at the waist, despite Lord Husbands repeated efforts to get him to stop without issuing a direct order, Xuande hesitantly began, “Imperial Legate is too kind. This lowly one knows nothing of tactics and warfare but… earlier, Imperial Legate declared that the Enemy’s movements were a trap.”

 

“Yep.” Taking this as an invitation to explain, Lord Husband pointed at various pieces on the table and rattled off a complex series of interactions which were somehow disastrous for the Imperial forces. “Long story short,” he concluded, once he noticed Luo-Luo’s eyes glazing over, “Is that Shuai Jiao and Nian Zu’s plan only works if the Defiled over-commit to chasing Central’s forces east and pay no mind to the encircling reinforcements. The Defiled have numbers enough to delay two of the three forces and concentrate on killing the third, isolated group, allowing them to divide and conquer against a numerically inferior force. Which is bad.”

 

“This lowly one understands,” Xuande said, in the patient tone of someone who’d heard Lord Husband argue this several times already, to which his advisors countered with what seemed like reasonable arguments. “However, tactics aside, this lowly one would note that a trap is only effective if it is not spotted beforehand. When spotted beforehand, it becomes an opportunity, for now you know what your foe expects. Could you not take advantage of this knowledge to bait the Enemy into a trap of our own devising?” Seeing Lord Husband’s bewildered expression, the soft-spoken Scion bowed again and said, “This lowly one is only speaking nonsense, and begs leave for his ignorance.”

 

“Kuang Biao!” Shouting at the top of his lungs, Lord Husband said, “Call for my war council to reconvene immediately.” Patting Xuande on the shoulders, Lord Husband directed the Scion to a chair and all but commanded him to sit, which he did while stroking his long, luxurious beard to hide his anxiety. Lord Husband wasn’t angry, but he was also too distracted to notice poor Xuande’s plight, utterly engrossed in moving his models around once more. When the council arrived a few minutes later, Lord Husband greeted them all by pointing at Xuande and saying, “Meet Liu Xuande, Imperial Scion and Expert of the Empire. He is now the fourth member of the council and is hereby to be included in all future discussions. I’ll give him a military rank after I have time to think of something appropriate.”

 

A chorus of dissent broke out, but none were louder than Xuande. “Imperial Legate, this one knows nothing of tactics and is unworthy of even the title of Expert. I’ve never drawn a weapon in anger, nor have I ever faced anyone in combat outside of gentle training.”

 

“You have a Natal Palace don’t you?” Xuande nodded, to which Lord Husband followed up with, “Then you’re an Expert. You have a Spiritual Weapon?” Seeing Xuande shake his head, Lord Husband asked, “Would you like one?” Again, Xuande shook his head and claimed he was unworthy, to which Lord Husband responded by waving the man’s protests aside. “Well, you don’t understand tactics but you can learn.” Pointing at his advisors, Lord Husband grimaced and said, “What I can’t do is teach these three soldiers to be less rigid in their thinking, because they’re too damned stubborn to listen. Tell them what you told me.”

 

Visibly shaken, Xuande stammered through his repetition while Luo-Luo watched with interest, unsure what was so significant about his contribution. It was common enough to find traps in contracts and devise methods to use said traps against their rivals, but Lord Husband treated it like sage advice, as did the members of his council. Visibly excited, Major General BoHai rushed to the table to begin planning, while Hagane and Inthavong offered arguments and suggestions of their own. Every now and then, Lord Husband would ask Xuande for his thoughts, only to berate the Imperial Scion for claiming ignorance and bully him into offering an opinion. Most were dismissed out of hand, but even Luo-Luo could tell the Scion had a good grasp of timing and troop movements, able to discern which pieces on the board were able to reinforce the others and the speeds at which they travelled. No doubt gleaned from his time plotting caravan routes and estimating where smugglers might travel to, now put to use against the Enemy.

 

Though feeling a little left out, Luo-Luo stood to the side and watched Lord Husband at work, her heart filled with pride for this dragon among men who excelled at everything he put his mind to. A shame he had even less time for her than usual these days, and what he could spare was always reserved for business or the animals, but there would come a time soon when he would lay his head down to rest, and his mind would be full of thoughts of her. Of this, she had no doubt, mostly because Lin-Lin’s protectors guarded her chastity fiercely, while Yan and Mila were both fighting on the front lines. Though lusty, Lord Husband was also fiercely devoted to his wives, which meant that when his bodily urges grew too strong for him to control, his only recourse would be to seek out Luo-Luo.

 

And when he did, she would welcome him with open arms and thank the Mother for Her bounty…

 

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