“Belated congratulations on your promotion, general.”
“Thank you, Xing.” Sho returned the bow and salute with ones of his own, though his smile was one that was more of amusement than thanks. The general wasn’t that oblivious that he couldn’t trace the tangled trail to the source of his promotion. With how convoluted it was, thanking the crown princess openly was probably not a good idea, so Sho settled for bowing deeply at her favored commander instead.
Bright as ever, Xing took the hint and gave a small smirk.
“Her highness, Crown Princess Azula, has assigned me under your command for this operation. I am at your disposal, general.”
Sho couldn’t help grinning at that. “I look forward to seeing you terrorize the battlefield, colonel.”
With Xing’s inclusion into this little band, all doubts about coincidences and hidden schemes were banished. The supposedly thankless task of taking the northern Earth Kingdom states was just a veil to hide Xing’s or the princess’ agenda. There was no way Sho would have command of his close friends otherwise.
Yashen had been dragged all the way from the east, and Dao and Koda from the south. With Xing now here, there was no chance at all that this was some bureaucratic coincidence. It also confirmed the moves that the princess had been making. Unlike the battle-glutton Dao or uninterested Yashen, Sho always kept an eye on court politics.
He’d seen the quiet migration of Lidai’s friends and allies from the forgotten corners of the Fire Nation to the colonies, often with subtle promotions to go along with it. Administrators of isolated islands and minor officials stuck in useless offices became magistrates and junior administrators. Whole families were uprooted to move east, often in careful stages.
To those in the royal court, it seemed as if favors were being wasted to recruit the exiled and the disgraced.
The recruitment had not been indiscriminate, and it took Sho some digging to find the pattern in it. Through the intermediaries of her intermediaries, Crown Princess Azula had been plucking out only those disgraced courtiers and officials that were proven to be talented first. Then those with fewer reported merits but latent potential were taken, in order of potential, Sho assumed.
Officials and nobles who had a history of greed and corruption were often not included, save for those who had skirted Fire Nation laws and red tape to meaningfully improve their duties. The princess was keen to offer second chances, but there was a minimum entry requirement it seems.
Within the military though, her hand was far more subtle, preferring to nudge rather than demand for her preferred assignments or stratagems. Other than her involvement in promoting Sho, the only sign of her intervention was the increased efficiency in logistics across the board for armies stuck in the front lines, or cutting short armada patrols to ensure that no fleet should have to operate beyond their assigned timeframe.
Colonel Hwa’s addition to the core of the army was one thing Sho could not figure out. Other than having a dim view of Dao (which was very much deserved in Sho’s opinion) the stoic commander was very much an unknown quantity. She’d reported to him without any sign of resentment or bootlicking, and showed only some satisfaction when the princess’ involvement in this northern campaign was revealed.
Perhaps it was simply due to the recognition of her battlefield merits. The princess had a thing for gathering hidden talent after all. Maybe almost sterilizing Dao was considered a worthy feat?
Regardless, Colonel Hwa had been handpicked along with Sho and his friends, so she would share equal involvement and acclaim in this campaign. To do otherwise would be an insult to the princess who nominated her. And possibly the young colonel that might have made the suggestion in the first place.
Sho gestured to said young colonel to offer him a seat. “I suppose you would have a better idea than me of the princess’ intentions?” he ventured.
Xing glanced around the austere office, particularly out the two windows, before he sat down. “Her highness wishes to tidy up the borders of the colonies, which would hopefully lessen the burden of defending against incursions.” The boy shrugged casually. “It would be the first step in allowing the colonies to develop peacefully.”
Sho couldn’t help pry to peek between the lines. “That’s all?”
“Well… Subjugating the Earth Kingdom realms there would give the Fire Nation access to safer ports to patrol the Northern Sea.” Which would also conveniently serve as a staging point if ever they needed to attack the Northern Water Tribe.
“Other than that…” Xing shrugged again. “Princess Azula is taking her job as heir very seriously I suppose.”
After the dark whispers of the former crown prince’s banishment, Sho could see why. The princess might have felt like she needed to prove herself to her father that she was capable of ruling. Even if she was still too young to be so involved like this.
It was a shame that the Fire Lord had such a temper on him, but it was not Sho’s place or rank to judge. Perhaps Prince Zuko would be forgiven after a couple more years, and allowed to pay a different, less impossible sort of penance.
“Then I’ll strive to not let this Northern Pacification Army be a disappointment. The plans she suggested to the war council should not be too hard to carry out with our current force.”
Xing gave a knowing grin. “Despite her youth, the princess has a talent for strategies and tactics,” he said blandly, not matching his expression at all.
“I’m sure her tutors would be proud of her accomplishments.”
“From what I heard, she surpassed most of them,” the colonel quipped, and Sho almost broke into a chuckle. ‘Most’, because it was clear to those that bothered digging that she hadn’t yet beaten Xing in a spar. No doubt he was also responsible for mentoring her on the various subjects of war.
Xing let out a cough to change the topic. “If I may ask, general, what is the status of the army?”
Sho nodded, feeling far more comfortable about discussing more mundane matters. “There are several more commanders who have pledged their forces to this army. Some are in the middle of mustering, while the others will join us in the colonies.”
“Any notable names?” the boy asked with a raised eyebrow, and the general shook his head.
“I’ve accepted the assignment of reliable, steady colonels and captains. Their fame might be…limited, but they can be depended upon. This is not a campaign for the famous, after all.”
“Not unless they’re trying to earn the princess’ favor.”
And pity the fools who try that. As Royal Champion, Xing now had the right to call out nobles and officers of any rank, especially if they presumed too much about what the royal family wanted or needed.
But it was too late for that, anyway. Sho had immediately sought out the less picky commanders when he got the assignment, back before Princess Azula attached her name and support to the subjugation campaign. He had little stomach for glory hounds and parasites after Shiluo.
“Speaking of favor,” Sho said, digressing from business for just a bit with a placid smile. “What’s this I hear of you making the princess blush, Xing?”
The way Xing fidgeted was highly satisfying. It was good to see him act his age. “I hope you didn’t apply Koda’s…lessons in approaching girls? Or spirits forbid, Dao’s?”
On some thought, Xing couldn’t possibly have taken Dao’s advice; he’d be a eunuch otherwise.
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*****
“This almost feels like old times,” Yashen remarked with a casual smile as he raised his tea bowl in the air. His old friends mirrored the action, and they clinked their bowls together before sipping the rice wine laced tea.
“Ahh, that hits the spot,” Koda exhaled as he leaned into his seat. “All praise to the crown princess for allowing us to fight alongside each other again.”
Yashen chuckled and reached for the teapot for a refill. “I’ll drink to that.”
“Me t-” Dao let out a belch that quite possibly shook the wooden walls of Yashen’s study room, and had the decency to look somewhat ashamed. “My bad. Anyway, good health and good cheer to the princess!”
“And the Fire Lord, of course,” Koda drawled.
“Of course,” the other two colonels agreed, and they clinked their bowls again.
Yashen made a show of remembering someone else as he downed his beverage, and then reached for the teapot again. “Ah…can’t forget our young Xing too.”
“Yes, indeed,” Koda agreed, his head bobbing sagely as he extended his empty bowl to Yashen. “Thank the spirits for the boy. Lidai would be proud of what he’s done for himself so far.”
Left unsaid was Xing’s definite involvement in ‘getting the band together again’, as the boy once said.
“Hear, hear! And the kid’s with us as well! We’ll definitely have some good fights to look forward to.”
Yashen and Koda exchanged smirks before glancing at their boisterous colleague. “Of course the fighting’s all you care about, Dao.”
The loud colonel gave a toothy grin. “Well, there’s no soft company in the front lines.”
“None that you’ve not chased away,” Koda added with a laugh, and with good humor, Dao joined in as well. Hopefully, Dao wouldn’t get lucky out there, or they’d have to palm off the task of calming Lady Dao to poor Xing again. Or settle for trussing Dao and somehow tossing him into enemy lines so that his wife would tear through the enemy to reach and finally castrate her philandering husband.
Truly, how the old colonel was able to keep his balls after such a long and…lax marriage was a marvel to Yashen.
The trio continued to enjoy their little reunion with laughter and reminiscing. Eventually, the topic shifted to more current topics.
“So it’s true that young Xing bested the Mad King?”
Dao’s half-drunk eyes locked onto Koda with sudden seriousness, and his head bobbed up and down a little too loosely. “Heard it from the troops who tagged along with Xing’s. The boy ran into the King of Omashu, there was a big fight, and Bumi left the field. Tell me how Xing lost that fight.”
“Point,” Koda conceded with a shallow bow. “A shame for his age,” the thinner colonel sighed. “It’d be interesting to see how far Xing might go as a general.”
Yashen smiled at that sentiment. Young Xing definitely had the talent, and such a promotion would do much honor to Lidai’s memory. “Yes, fortunately with his accomplishments, it’s only a matter of a few years. Unlike us old timers stuck where we are.”
“Hey now,” Dao interrupted, a little affronted. “It’s not all that bad for us. Sho got to general, din’ he?”
Both Yashen and Koda leveled him a look. “Yes, Dao. The youngest among us, the talented one who studied under Lidai, got promoted to general. What’s that say about us?”
After a few seconds of pondering Yashen’s question, Dao let out a heavy sigh. “We’re fucked.”
The other two nodded with faux sageness. “Quite so. You’re too loud and reckless, Koda doesn’t like having to decide everything, and I can’t stand the shoulder rubbing.”
“Well, colonel’s not so bad,” Dao consoled. “But you’re right, Xing just needs a few years, then he can get to fucking the pri-” The colonel of the 4th Regiment aborted his sentence as he received cold glares from his friends.
“Dao,” Yashen began, “if you’re going to say what I think you’re going to say, I suggest you do it outside my estate, so I don’t get dragged along when the royal guard comes for you.”
Koda snorted. “And say it a little louder, so the palace can hear it straight from your mouth.”
The flustered commander huffed. “I wasn’t trying-”
“No, you’re not,” Koda agreed. “With you, you skip the ‘trying’ part and go straight to offending. How you manage to have children with the way you antagonize women is truly a mystery.”
“Bah. As if you’ve got any right to talk, cocksucker,” Dao deflected, and the colonel of the 31st Cavalry Regiment raised a finger.
“Sodomiser, actually. But it’s not about me now, is it?”
“Please,” Yashen interrupted before things escalated. He didn’t want to renovate his home again. “Back to the topic of our young friend?” As his friends cooled down, he smiled and brought them back to the matter at hand. “Anyway, any news regarding the Northern Pacification Army?” He’d been late to the capital, so Yashen had little time to be dragged into court politics.
“Oh, plenty,” Dao huffed, his face suddenly flashing red with anger. “Got a few damned nobles asking me to join their little petition to request for the 11th’s relegation.” The tea in the colonel’s hand began to visibly steam and bubble. “The Royal Champion is too young to take such a prominent role,” Dao mimicked in a high, mocking voice, and then snorted with derision. “Fucking idiots still haven’t gotten it in their heads that the boy’s above their petty tactics. It’s in the name! Royal! Champion!”
“That’s about the same here,” Koda admitted with an irritated frown. “There’s insinuations of Xing being too young to be part of the army’s core. The smarter ones just ask for him and his regiment to act as a reserve for Sho, to allow Xing a better opportunity to learn proper soldiering from the ‘esteemed and hardworking general who worked his way to his rank’.”
Even Yashen had to sneer at that. Why some felt the need to stall Xing’s rise was a puzzling mystery to him, but then again such was the power plays of the capital city. The goal always seemed to be dragging everyone else down so that you could step on their heads to rise up.
Once more, it was Dao that took the loudest offense. “Bah, as if any of those asslickers know anything about soldiering!” It was a sentiment that Yashen could toast to, so he did.
Dao gulped his bowl of tea and let out a hearty burp. “They just want our boy to keep grinding away uselessly so he doesn’t keep making fools out of them. Keep him stuck doing nothing like what happened to Lidai.”
Unfortunately, it was probably an accurate assessment. “Good thing the princess knows to keep Xing clear of them.”
“Of course she would! The girl’s smart after all!” Yashen winced at the informal address of the crown princess, while Koda just sighed with the resignation of a man about to be executed. Dao didn’t notice or care, and went on. “She’ll make sure Xing gets the glory he deserves! Then maybe-”
Yashen stopped him before he got everyone in trouble again. “Dao, no. We know, so you don’t have to say it.” They were all rooting for Xing to do well, and that included the chance at…happiness with the crown princess.
“Bah.” Dao thankfully conceded the point and sagged in his seat to grumble. “Stupid court fools who’ve barely seen the front, let alone fight in it, and they think they know soldiering.” He loudly gulped down another bowl of tea before finishing his tirade. “Impressing the princess, earning the respect of the Mad King, getting victories that officially impressed the Fire Lord? Now that’s soldiering! See any of them even do a fraction of that!”
Yashen had to go out to call for another batch of wine and tea. It’d be a shame to not toast vehemently to that.