Empress Natsume ✓

XI

A round man with a long white beard stepped forward, dressed in a green robe.

"Shouldn't we start about you having power over the states? I meant no offense milady, but many of us here are unfortunately dissent about it. A fourteen summers old and a girl leading us is ignominious for the officials and to add with it, has no experience in the politics. Hence, we denied your participation here in this field, milady. It is not for you to take responsibilities, it is for the trusted officials to take care of Lord Ryuu's states who have been by his side for a long time supporting him. Forgive me milady, but we only meant well for the welfare of the states that Lord Ryuu had entrusted to us"

He bowed after that.

He must be Governor Taro, Another one of the corrupted officials.

It seems that most men are chauvinist, how I badly want to make them swallow those words.

"Are you saying that you're doubting his lordship's judgement, Governor? How ironic, a few days ago, many of you are coming to me to pressure me with your problems but now that I was given consent to resolve your problems, you're turning against me, is this one of your tactics? His lordship trust you enough to entrust one of his states to you but you're returning his generosity with mistrust to his decisions and judgement. I haven't done anything yet and you're already judging my capability. 'Where are those wise men that won't judge thou thy appearance but through the cleanliness of thy heart'. My gender doesn't matter, and regardless of my actions, the important thing is the outcome of it, if my actions led to chaos, you may overpower me but if I prove myself, I promise you that I will eliminate every stinking rats that are trying to blend here"

I paused for a while, looking at every single one of them.

"And if you can't still accept my regency, you may send words to his lordship about your complaints"

Noises again, they started murmuring to each other.

"Silence"

When they ignored my word

I slam the table infront of me, that caught their attention.

"I said. Silence"

"I'am not done yet, instead of opposing me, why don't you worry about the states that you're assigned with? Governor Gorou, what will you do to stop the peasants from another states that are crossing our border? And what will you do to the peasants that you have caught? I heard that there are many of them that they're jamming your prison. Your situation is the most critical one, shouldn't you be more worried about that? I don't think that killing them is the best option. The States where they're from might declare a war against us and you know that right now is not a good time to make a war against other states, his lordship is currently fighting against the two warlords in Keito"

The officials were astonished to what I said, I bet that they didn't know that I knew that matters and is going to address it.

"Milady, killing the peasants wouldn't matter at all. The state that they're from, definitely doesn't care about them, they are currently problematizing a famine in their place so lessing the mouths to feed is no threat at all, infact we're doing them a favor"

"Lives of the people does matter, but it doesn't matter to you at all because you're not living their harsh life. Aren't you afraid of the heavens? The heaven's favor might run out of us. Did you kill them already?"

His mouth forms into a grim line

"Ha-half, half of them are already dead"

My eyebrows furrowed

"Half of them?"

I unbelievably asked

"Yes, milady"

Dugging my nails into my palms to prevent me from cursing at him, I ask again.

"what did you do to them?"

"I hang their bodies and some of them were beheaded"

I heavily breathed, trying to calm myself

"Where did you put their bodies?"

"I put their bodies in the border to make an example of them but it seems that it didn't work, seeing as how the number of the prisoners in the underground cell keeps on increasing"

"Governor, don't you know that you just made a terrible crime? Killing them is not your place unless you are told to do so, you should have handed them to the office of the investigation, you defy one of Lord Ryuu's rules, is this what you so called trusted officials?"

"But transporting them will just cause a big trouble, there are many--"

"Did I say that you're going to transport them? Is killing them the only way? If you file a report against them and tell them the situation, the office of the investigation could have gone there by themselves and handle it"

"What do you expect me to do with them, milady? Free them and let them wander in our territory when they don't even belong here? Or let them go back to where they came from only to breach our border again? Some of those rats were not caught and is trying to blend with our people. Besides... It's not like the office of the investigation has a better resolution, we're trying everything we can to protect the borders, milady"

He said, trying to reason out.

"Do you take the office of the investigation for a fool? Do you know what's the punishment of the rule you break? Sixty lashes, and only one fourth of your wealth will be left to you and there's a possibility that you'll be stripped out of your title"

His face paled like a white sheet of paper.

"Killing them is not the only way, you could have punished them, a beneficial punishment that will benefit them and ourselves" - I continued.

"And what will that be, milady?"

His arrogant tone is carrying a challenge. But instead of answering him, I said;

"I will head to Dong and see them for myself"

His mouth opened again, trying to protest.

"But it's my own affairs, and didn't you say that the office of investigation--"

"I have a full authority here. You don't have an authority to stop me, Governor"

His gritted his teeth, trying to suppress his anger. My eyes strayed to Governor Taro, who's at the opposite side of him.

"Governor Taro?"

He raised his head

"Yes, milady?"

"Is there no trouble at your respective place?"

He didn't answer for a while

"No.... We're at peace, milady. There's no trouble there--- at all"

I slowly nodded.

"Indeed? Then, I should go to Sayta after my visit in Dong"

Whatever comes from their mouths cannot be trusted, to see the situation with my own eyes is more reliable. I can come up with a good solution then.

"I.. I don't think you can liberately go to places, milady. You may have a full authority from his lordship but-- the people didn't recognize your authority. By going out to the places you've never been, you're exposing yourself to danger. They can attack you physically"

"That's why I was provided with lots of guards for this situation, Governor. We'll see for it"

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