“That’s the truth. The people can still stand without the emperor and others. It is only the emperor who cannot stand without his people. The emperor feed himself by robbing of the harvests that his people earned with their sweat on their forehead. For exchange, the emperor didn’t things that his people cannot do on their own.”
“...Maybe.”

“In the end, the emperor is nothing but a person who exploits and kills his people. Therefore, within their abilities, they leniently exploits the least they can, and kills the fewest they can. If the numbers are kept at a minimum, the emperor is regarded as wise. But that never means that he does no such deeds.”
Rokuta couldn’t talk back.

“..Only five provincial lords survived. In three provinces, the provincial lord spaces created by the massacre of Kyou-ou are still left empty, as the local officials snatch control. The only provincial lord we can use is from the Province of Sei (靖州).

Mentioning that, he called Rokuta.
“Send to the provincial lord of Sei our wish to borrow their provincial army.”
“That is your stuff. I cannot command an army anyway.”

Saihou is granted control of the province where the capital is located. At the Kingdom of En, that means the Province of Sei. There are the land, the people and the army, but actually the emperor only commands the army, and the lands are all split up and granted as rewards to officials.

“... Are you really that afraid of war?”
Syouryuu asked, and Rokuta lifted his head. He turned back, and Syouryuu smiled gently.
“If you are afraid, just hide. The war won’t spread to here.”

“That’s not it. War is most disturbing to the people. I am the manifestation of the people’s opinion, you know.”
“Yeah, it is said that kirins are creatures of timidity.”
“Well, let’s put it as that kirins are creatures of deep generosity.”

“It is better to end it all by killing a hundred now than saying we cannot kill, and end up killing a thousand in the end.”
Rokuta turned back, and pointed a finger to Syouryuu.

“Don’t say such things to me!”
“Oh, you are not impressed. I thought I could took pride by saying killing a hundred is enough.”

“Shouldn't the numbers be a thousand times bigger?”
Rokuta stared at Syouryuu, and Syouryuu laughed.
“Does En have a population of a hundred thousand in the first place?”

Rokuta jumped off from the table.
“You are very much qualified as metsu-tei (滅帝, the emperor who exterminates)!”
Rokuta threw that remark behind him and stepped toward the door. Then he heard a voice.

“I have told you to leave it to me, right?”

Rokuta turned back. Syouryuu was still facing the desk as before, with his wide back facing Rokuta.

“So close your eyes and plug your ears for now. This is a path we must go through.”
Rokuta stared at Syouryuu’s back for quite some time. Finally he turned away and left.
“I don’t know a thing. Everything is left to you.”

***

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