Chapter 225 Tenuous Peace

Shuri tightened her grasp on the faintly lustrous pendant caressing her neck. When one's life teeters precariously at the edge of a blade on a regular basis, even a sudden shift in wind direction can set off a plethora of mental alarms. It's much worse when the only person she can somewhat rely on proclaims that certain misfortune will befall her.

"It's best if you take a seat for this, Your Highness," Eunuch Bang said as a caring reminder.

"I prefer to stand," because if someone were to attack her, she would need maximum mobility to escape or worse, retaliate.

"It's regarding the Peace Agreement with the Blackstar Kingdom," Eunuch Bang continued. "After thorough deliberation, His Majesty has decided to follow through with it."

"It was his idea in the first place," Shuri reminded. "An alliance through marriage. Isn't that how he's been keeping the Empire under his thumb this entire time?"

"The walls have ears, Your Highness," Eunuch Bang murmured with a low hum.

"They can tolerate this much," Shuri dismissed. "Otherwise the Emperor's fury would have descended upon the Inner Palace many times over already. Do you believe that the serpents plotting away at their nests haven't uttered worse?"

"Still-"

"I've survived for this long in here, I know what I'm doing," Shuri warned curtly. "Please, let us return to the issue at hand. What of the Peace Agreement?"

"How far are you informed of the politics behind this agreement?" Eunuch Bang inquired as he sunk deeper into the sofa.

"Bare minimum," Shuri shot back. "Just enough to keep me on my toes, but not too much to attract unwanted attention. The Emperor wishes to call for a cessation in the conflict with the Blackstar Kingdom, that is all I know."

"That is the gist of it, basically. The conflict with the Blackstar Kingdom has gone on for the last thirty-some years, give or take a decade depending on when you consider the actual start to be. To gain a better understanding I should probably elaborate on the history of this conflict."

"The Solar Empire is widely considered to be the largest nation in the entirety of Gaia. It spans the southern half of the Pangian Continent. At the time of its founding, the First Emperor could have pushed forward into the north and secured more ground for his Empire, but he chose to stop willingly. There was no need to go further north, it was far more trouble than he could handle. Because what do you think will happen after the drums of war stop booming - when the Emperor lays his body upon the throne to manage the nation he'd built for himself?"

"Chaos," Shuri answered.

"Exactly! The south of the Pangian Continent was sufficient in more ways than one. There was arable land, vast forestry, abundant resources, and everything else necessary for a nation to function for many centuries. As for anything beyond the nation's lands, there was always trade! The Free States of the North as well as the plethora of nations across the Vast Blue Expanse had much to offer. Thus the Solar Empire prospered, to this date. However, the delicate balance shifted around five hundred years ago."

"The Bloodsoul Conquests," Shuri voiced.

Eunuch Bang nodded affirmatively and continued, "An exiled Baron from the Solar Empire went on a rampage and successively conquered every Free State to the north. Does Her Highness know why it was called the Bloodsould Conquests?"

"The ex-Baron practised a cultivation method which drew power from virgin, untainted blood," Shuri responded.

"The north was bathed in blood as the beast in human skin rampaged through. As he was a splinter from the Solar Empire, the Emperor at that time moved to contest against the man, however, it was already too late - the nations to the north had fallen and thus the Blackstar Kingdom was born. It is evident that the first King held little affection for the Empire, given how the name he assigned to his kingdom is the anthesis of the Solar Empire. If that wasn't enough, the Empire has been fielding continuous encroachment from the north since the Kingdom's founding. The conflict between the Solar Empire and the Blackstar Kingdom formed a new balance - the latter fought to subsume the former, while the former held on to maintain the existing status quo. Small-scale wars and border conflicts became the new norm."

"Doesn't the Empire have enough power to conquer the Kingdom?" Questioned Shuri.

"On paper, yes. If the Emperor called upon all the vassals, it would be possible to conquer the north. However, it is more trouble than it is worth. Furthermore, it isn't economically viable - a large-scale war destabilises the nation greatly. Trade routes within the Empire get bogged down as new supply lines take their place. Production priorities must be reconsidered. It is a massive logistical headache. And truthfully, an all-out war isn't necessary to defeat the Blackstar Kingdom. Our experts and spies paint a bleak picture of the Blackstar Kingdom. The nation is hanging by a thread as it is. The King holds all the power and has little to no interest in managing his sprawling nation. The current government is set up haphazardly and is rife with corruption. Refugees are streaming into the Empire from the north in hordes to escape the oppression. It is predicted that the Kingdom will crack in its seam as soon as the King dies as none of his horde of offspring show any expertise in managing a nation. Even if they did, the nation that will fall into their hands will be so unstable that it will shatter immediately."

"What changed, then?" Shuri probed with a confused tone.

"The Plague Emperor happened," Eunuch Bang emphasised. "Ziva Lune, a Student of the esteemed Teacher Jeeves."

"The 1-star Teacher Al Jeeves?"

"Recent news suggests that he should be earning his 2-star license soon," Eunuch Bang corrected. "Nonetheless, Teacher Jeeves' last student Ziva Lune was revealed to own the inheritance of the late Plague Emperor. The first was a definite thorn to the Sects affiliated with the Solar Alliance, but he didn't pose a huge threat to the Empire. He was classified as Unorthodox for his inhuman experiments and actions, but it was contained to an extent. Ziva Lune did not share those characteristics. His attacks did not discriminate and did not hold anything back. The Plague of Dark Cleansing is indicative of this fact. The devastating attack decimated a large swatch of land near the border between the Solar Empire and the Blackstar Kingdom. The man unleashed it to hinder the mages in pursuit - it was an escape measure. We can only imagine just how much worse a more thorough and planned-out attack could be. Worse yet, this man has aligned himself with the Kingdom."

"That's sub-optimal," Shuri commented.

"Very much so. The delicate balance is slowly tilting in favour of the Kingdom, because of just one man. The Empire is now at a critical juncture. We can continue with the current wait-and-watch strategy - given the Kingdom's current trajectory, its downfall is imminent. However, this also allows Ziva to build up power and plan a counterattack. Worse yet, now that he has joined hands with the Kingdom, he can bolster the Kingdom's strikes with his morbid branch of magic. Alternatively, we could undertake an all-out war, which as established is economically detrimental but could possibly ensure that Ziva does not cook up some troubling calamity in the meantime."

Shuri scratched her forehead lightly and bit her lips in distress, "Neither sounds attractive."

"That is so," Eunuch bang affirmed. "Thus the Peace Agreement was stitched up. The Emperor and his Advisors believe that middle ground is achievable. The Empire has found it increasingly difficult to place spies close to the King and Ziva, thus making it harder to track their movements. If it were possible to gauge their position, a suitable countermeasure could be formalised from the Empire's end. Hence, if it is impossible to move spies through clandestine means, why not try it through a more transparent strategy? This can be achieved by openly moving a valuable piece from the Empire into the Kingdom, which in turn will warrant the movement of additional supports along with it. Then, amidst the support pieces, one could sneak in a few spies who will now have an easier time moving about in the Kingdom."

"But the Kingdom won't just let anyone from the Empire get close to the throne," Shuri surmised. "Which means that- Damn it!"

"Exactly, Your Highness," Eunuch Bang confirmed Shuri's suspicion with a frantic nod. "The Emperor intends to move for a political marriage between a Princess of the Empire and a Prince of the Kingdom."

"I know the man. He won't send any of the other princesses, he cares and dotes on them too much. I on the other hand am an expendable piece. I have nothing to offer, he has nothing to gain from keeping me around either..." Shuri's legs gave way and she collapsed onto the floor. Her eyes glazed over as her imminent demise surfaced in them.

"Irony is cruel," she muttered in defeat. "In trying to lower my value, it seems I've achieved a niche status..."

Eunuch Bang rushed forward and descended onto his knees in front of Shuri, "It is time, Your Highness. If we do not make a move now, you will be sent to the Kingdom which is equal to sending you to your death."

Shuri's anxious gaze tightened with unwavering seriousness. "You realise what needs to be done? There is no turning back if we walk down this road, not for me and definitely not for you."

Eunuch Bang revealed a bitter smile and said, "All my life I've walked facing forward. I don't have the luxury of choice to regret my past. All that matters is that this is the only way you can escape this hellhole with your life intact."

"In that case, proceed with the preparations. I don't believe I need to emphasise the importance of secrecy in this matter?"

Eunuch Bang nodded gravely and receded towards the exit with his head lowered and facing the Princess. Shuri, in turn, folded her arms and grasped her shimmering pendant contemplatively while looking out the dusty window.