~~~

    “Your Majesty, this year’s harvest...”

    “Your Majesty, the Red Sky Pavilion’s representative has arrived. Regarding the matter of the imperial treasury...”

    “Your Majesty! Duke Wei threatens to declare himself independent! He demands that...”

    “Your Majesty, the cooks have notified me that...”

    “Your Majesty, there are reports coming from Stone River City. It seems that...”

    Again and again, the pattern repeats itself. It has been that way since Liu Jin returned to the Storm Dragon Empire. To make matters worse, the Storm Dragon Palace has finished repairing itself, meaning there is no longer any reason not to use the throne room.

    Every time Liu Jin sits on the throne to hold court, he finds himself missing the old conference room. While he understands certain trappings must be kept, he really wishes the throne weren’t so overtly gaudy. It is not just made of solid gold but also encrusted with dragon fangs the size of a grown man. It makes it look like the throne was a dragon’s mouth about to snap shut.

    It didn’t look that way before. Supposedly, the throne, as well as the entire palace, changes to suit its ruler. The throne’s new ominous and menacing shape seems to be how the Shadow of the Storm Dragon manifests its favorability. His sleeping ancestor seems to think that intimidating everyone the second they enter the throne room is helpful, which it is. The menacing visage discourages his advisors from bringing up shallow matters.

    Still! It is the principle of the thing that matters here!

    “That was the last issue of the day, Your Majesty,” General Nie Dan says once everyone else has been dismissed. “Considering how mundane some of these concerns are, you should consider spacing out court sessions more.”

    Liu Jin smiles humorlessly. “Am I so easy to read?”

    “Hardly,” the general replies. “However, I have ample experience in this matter. No one will complain if you take more time for yourself. The treaties with the Eternal Flame Clan and the Red Sky Pavilion are already a great aid to our country. There is not a single person who doubts you.”

    “I seem to recall hearing about someone rising in rebellion not two hours ago.”

    “An unimportant matter,” General Dan replies. “Duke Wei is nothing more than a pathetic dog who refuses to admit he picked the wrong side. I will take care of his tantrum tomorrow.”

    Liu Jin laughs. According to the reports, Duke Wei has managed to raise an army of ten thousand, yet General Nie Dan makes dealing with his rebellion sound no different from throwing out the day’s trash.

    To an Emperor Realm cultivator like him, the level of effort must be about the same.

    Now that the Storm Dragon Empire has no immediate threats left to deal with, General Nie Dan can act with significantly greater freedom. This has, in turn, left the rest of the army with more time to work on building roads and repairing the damage done during the civil war. It is a slow process, but things should quicken once the flying items from the Red Sky Pavilion arrive.

    “Should I be the one warning you about overworking yourself, general?”

    “On the contrary, Your Majesty. My work is my pleasure.”

    ~~~

    “Enough already! Get your paws off me, you unsightly mutt!”

    “Is there really any need to be so rude?” Liu Jin asks while writing on his desk. The brush in his hand moves with quick, elegant strokes. “It likes you, so you might as well enjoy the attention,”

    “How long will you keep up this useless pretense?!” Qing Guo yells at his cousin while trying his best to keep the damned dog from getting its drool all over his face. “I know this thing is not alive!”

    “I am afraid that information is outdated,” Liu Jin says as he continues writing. Qing Guo, who has had calligraphy lessons since childhood, cannot help but feel a little jealous of his skill. “The dog is fully sentient now. Its attachment to you is genuine, though part of it might have been shaped by the imprint leftover from past experiences.”

    Liu Jin’s casual announcement surprises Qing Guo so much that he loses his grip on the dog, earning himself a lick across the face.

    “What do you mean it is sentient?!” Qing Guo yells, hurriedly trying to wipe the drool off his face. “You can’t just say something so outrageous so casually!”

    “Truly? I would think being Emperor makes me obligated to say outrageous things casually.”

    “You are just playing with words now!” a red-faced Qing Guo yells, trying to get the dog under control. “You are enjoying this, aren’t you?”

    “I have no idea what you mean, cousin.”

    In the end, it takes several minutes for Qing Guo to get the dog to calm down, something he achieves by letting the creature bite on his sash. As a cultivator in the True Realm, it would not have been hard for him to subdue the dog using force. That he did not says many things, as does the way he pets the dog’s head.

    “Cousin,” Qing Guo says. The unfamiliar word sounds odd on his lips, “an explanation would be appreciated. Such an outrageous comment cannot be taken seriously, but I cannot deny what my senses reveal to me. This creature is not what it was. How?”

    For a moment, only the sounds of Liu Jin’s brush strokes and the dog’s pants can be heard in the room.

    “I... had the right ingredients,” Liu Jin says, picking his words carefully. “A body that had no life. A life that had no body.”

    Liu Jin sighs, suddenly glad there is no one else in the room. Song Daiyu very clearly enjoys saying outrageous things. However, Liu Jin can sense genuine irritation underneath the act.

    “You wanted a meeting with City Lord Chu,” Liu Jin points out. “I facilitated that. Since then, his star has only risen. What is there to complain about?”

    Song Daiyu’s golden eyebrows twitch.

    “You are the Emperor!”

    “I know.” Liu Jin sighs sadly. “I really did not mean for that to happen, but everyone tells me I was deluding myself by thinking it wouldn’t.”

    “Who cares about that?” Song Daiyu says, finally rising. “I have spent weeks trying to set up a meeting with you, and you have ignored me! Does it amuse you to deny me, Your Majesty? If so, you will doubtless make women unhappy!”

    “Being the Emperor does not put me in charge of negotiating every agreement the Storm Dragon Empire makes. City Lord Chu is far more suited for that sort of thing,” Liu Jin points out.

    “What about our friendship, Your Majesty?” Song Dayu pleads dramatically, holding a hand to her chest. “Do our childhood memories truly fail to move your heart?”

    “My childhood memories tell me you were thinking of business even back then. Why would I want to negotiate face to face with someone who is a better negotiator than I?”

    Song Daiyu blinks. “Flattery? Very well, praise me more. However, that does not make me less upset. You are only meeting with me now because there is finally something you want.”

    “I would assume the money we’re going to spend would be the thing that makes you happy,” Liu Jin says dryly. “How much has Song Clan benefited since the day we met?”

    “Considerably,” Song Daiyu replies without shame. “The Song Clan’s status in relation to the other ruling families of the Five Blessings Group has risen quite a bit. Maybe a little too much. The assassination attempts grow a little tiresome.”

    “...I am not sure if I should apologize.”

    “Oh, it is nothing worth talking about, though if you feel you have to spend more because of it, do not let me stop you,” Song Daiyu says, sitting on a couch and crossing her legs. She holds the list he prepared and glances over it carefully. “Only this? You realize you are dealing with the Five Blessings Group, right? If it exists, we can find it and sell it.”

    “I will leave the more complicated purchases to City Lord Chu,” Liu Jin says. “This is more than enough, though if you could find some farmers to lend us, that might be good.”

    Song Daiyu blinks.

    “You want to... rent farmers? Whatever for?”

    “The state of Murong Bang’s former territories is deplorable. It would not surprise me if many of the people there have forgotten how to farm. They have been living in chaos for far too long. There is also the state of the land to consider. It might be better to have experts available to instruct and help them.”

    “That might be possible to arrange,” Song Daiyu says. “However, there is one issue that cannot be overlooked. I am afraid this business cannot proceed until it is dealt with.”

    “Oh?” Liu Jin blinks and tilts his head. “What is it?”

    “Have you talked to Xiao Shuang yet?”

    Liu Jin immediately looks away.

    “Fiend! Demon! Cad!” Song Daiyu says, pointing at him. “For how many weeks have you had that mirror already! How can you torture such a lovely girl?”

    “I don’t need you to tell me I am in the wrong,” Liu Jin says, rubbing his forehead.

    Even Lu Mei found the time to talk to him about that despite how she has been feeling after the way things ended with her parents.

    He needs to talk to Xiao Shuang. He knows that.

    “Every time I hold that mirror, I think of something else I need to take care of first,” Liu Jin admits. “It’s small of me. I know it.”

    And yet, he is afraid.

    Song Daiyu crosses her arms. “It is no fun if you are just going to admit it. You are not a small man, so go ahead and contact her already. Nothing is stopping you now.”

    “Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”

    They both hear the soldier’s footsteps stomping across the hall. The man stops before his door but does not open it, kneeling before it instead.

    “An emissary from the Eternal Flame Clan has been sighted at the border, your Majesty!” The soldier says, panting as he tries to regain his breath. “He says his name is Feng Zhuo!”

    Song Daiyu’s palm meets her face with impeccable accuracy.

    ~~~