Immortal Connections - Chapter 30 preview

Chapter 30 - Fa Yuan

“Honored Left Guardian, the evening reports,” the young lady who brought the stack of documents to her bowed low, hands extended with the tray as she came up to Fa Yuan at her desk. Three times a day, reports arrived from her agents and the inherited agents that Fa Yuan had received upon assuming the role of Left Guardian for the Verdant Green Waters sect.  Three times a day, information from across the kingdom arrived, from spies and informants in all walks of life and throughout various stations and sects in the kingdom.

“Thank you, Dan Er.” Fa Yuan took the documents, placing them beside her on the massive mahogany table that was her workplace during these times. Multiple neatly arrayed documents lay on the table, piled high alongside the ink stand, brush and water along with a delicate porcelain tea set. A single small tree - the money plant so loved by many and a gift from her rascal of a younger martial brother - lay on the table, brightening the otherwise stark decor.

The room itself was large and airy, though crowded with numerous bookcases and closets. Each of those were filled with further documentation, notes from their spies and informats and maps detailing the movement of allies and threats alike. A single large map of the kingdom dominated the wall to her right, tiny pins in numerous colours stuck within. Strings ran along the pins, often joining up against nearby cities, though not always.

Outside, through the darkening entrance to a picturesque courtyard, the sun began to set. The tinkle of a running stream within the courtyard, the sway of branches and the flutter of leaves brought with it the calming presence of the outdoors, even as Fa Yuan was forced, once again, to stay within.

Sorting the documents out by the colors of the string attached to them, the cultivator looked over the scrolls and played a guessing game of their contents. Reaching for the sole scroll with a gold coloured string, Fa Yuan drew it close. Another report on the Shen kingdom's royalty. These reports had started arriving more frequently recently, ever since the Verdant Green Waters had taken part in the expedition to the Wei kingdom and had parked their massive spiritual instrument, the ____ pagoda at the entrance to the new mystic realm.

By sheer virtue of their presence and their prominence in recent events, it had drawn the attention of the kingdom once again. As the Patriarch had commented, such interest waxed and waned on the regular, as the kingdom grappled with the intricacies and conditions of the cultivator sects.

The sects were too powerful to dismiss entirely, containing a large portion of the military stregth of the kingdom. From spiritual instruments to Nascent Soul cultivators, the sect's held many powerful trump cards that could be wielded against foreign enemies. However, for the Shen royalty, that was a double-edged sword; for such powerful cards could be turned against them too. 

Unrolling the document, she scanned down the contents, reading over the discussions held at the latest hunting party. She made note of the number of fowl and foxes caught by each prince and minister, marking the details down in her booklet in code for later reference. You never knew when dropping a hint of how extensive their networks were could be useful.

More importantly...

"They're still arguing how best to curtail us," Fa Yuan said, tapping one long finger nail on the document. She spoke, not just for her own purposes to clarify her mind but for the Patriarch whose aura blanketed the mountain itself. “It’s pretty clear the conversation has come down to two major camps – increasing recruitment of the army, which the army and some of the princes are supporting – and bolstering the ranks and prestige of other sects – which most of the ministers and only a few princes are willing to support.”

Silence, but then she felt an invisible prompt, a pressure that raised a question without words. By now, she had begun to ascertain not just the spiritual impulses that the Patriarch sent, but also his thinking behind them.

“There is no escaping their actions. The only question is which we would prefer.” Taking her time to think, she poured herself a cup of warm tea, sipping on the delicate brew of rose petals and dawn plucked, fresh leaf tea. “Bolstering the army will take many years before they are a concern. A decade at least, before the effects play out and their recruits ascend to higher realms. In the long term though, it could weaken our position greatly.”

“On the other hand, the other option would immediately affect our growth. Actions taken to divert our contracts, to have merchants sell purchases to other sects or have the government switch their contracts will hamper the growth of our sect members directly. Of course, Ah Ying left us with quite the bounty; in both his Department of Wandering Gatherers and the mystic realm. Still, both require another decade before they can bear full fruit I feel.

“More than that, the recent political climate and aggressive stances taken by other kings after the fall of the Chen lead me to believe that we might find a resumption of hostilities. If that’s the case, bolstering the forces of the army and allowing the other sects to take a more prominent role would be both advantageous for us.”

Softer, she added. “We have pai too high a price being at the forefront. Let another take the glory and casualties.”

Having said her piece, she waited. There were no words, no silent objection. If anything, she felt the aura retracting, the attention turning from her and found herself smiling, wryly. It seemed the Patriarch was willing to allow her to play her games, but he would not – directly – condone it.

On her head would like the consequences.

So be it. 

Yang Fa Yuan had never shied from such responsibilities. 

First, though, she had a number of other missives to read. She would pen a missive to the princes and ministers, pushing them into taking action. Like the Patriarch, the current Emperor was one who enjoyed watching those beneath them scurry, taking action for the greater good of the empire. Only when the results were clear did he act, taking credit or assigning blame as necessary.

Such a state of affairs might not lead to the most efficient kingdom, but it had the advantage of giving someone with a delicate touch and who understood the pressure points of the houses of royalty to guide the flow of events. 

It was, after all, only a small thing to speak with courtesans, wives and charming servants, to prod and inflame the passions of others. To have them act, to showcase their great strength, wisdom and loyalty to the kingdom. In so doing, prove themselves better than their counterparts.

All for the greater good of empire, of course.