(D8, MM) Boarger and Fried

[Soshi Eiji]

But what was that sumai's name?

Eiji held the scroll containing the Boar deal. Not the Badger deal. Yogo-san's finalization of that was still out. It certainly WAS on his mind, but he'd need to watch himself from making such embarrassing misteakes. Imagine if he called his champion by the wrong name?

So he presented himself yet again at his delegation head's quarters. He did at least feel fortunate that the Mantis deal had gone through without issue. If the Phoenix deal was the worst he'd have to deal with, the rest of the court should flow smoothly.

[Bayushi Kaguya]

"Enter."

Bayushi Kaguya was seated, this morning, at tea. There was a dead woman on the floor. It seemed to be Shosuro Teruko.

[Soshi Eiji]

"Fortunes!"

Eiji was honorable. Much of what someone as highly placed as the Scorpion champion did, he was expected to ignore. To face every day in a courteous manner. However, he was pretty sure his etiquette sensei had given him an exception for surprise dead bodies!

He put his hand on his wakizashi (though he was certainly no swordsman), and his eyes swept the corners of the room. His first thought was the break-in in the Crane embassy.

"Are you ok, Bayushi-sama?" he asked, concerned that some manner of assassin had broken in and this brave Scorpion had given their life defending the embassy, what if Kaguya-sama was wounded?

However, when he noticed exactly who that was sprawled on the floor, his mind went in an entirely different direction. From a brave Scorpion had fought off an assassin, to an assassin that was a Scorpion that had tried to take a shot at the champion.

"Do you...need me to fetch anyone...healer....eta....housekeeping....or such?" he asked.

He wasn't sure what the official Scorpion embassy policy was for such, but he was pretty sure it wasn't 'Let a dead Scorpion rot in the champion's quarters and conduct business over the stench.'

[Bayushi Kaguya]

"Hmm?" Kaguya came out of her daydream to find Soshi Eiji in the room. Always Soshi Eiji. Interesting.

"Oh. Yes, well, an eta tonight, I think, if one can be found discreetly. It would not do if everyone saw this, but certain people must have the opportunity."

[Soshi Eiji]

Every time Shosuro Teruko bowed to Bayushi Kaguya, she had been, in effect, offering her head to Kaguya. Her life had always been Kaguya's to claim. Rather than serving her master honorably, she had chosen to work against her in secret. (At least, if Eiji's instincts had been correct). Seppeku to apologize to spare her family the dishonor of her betrayl would have been preferrable...but such is not always possible. For her betrayl, her life was forfeit.

As for the decision to display her as a warning for others for the day....while Eiji's etitiquette sensei would have been appalled....it was, strangely enough, a Compassionate choice in a way. Those who conspired against Kaguya, their lives were also her's to claim. Rather than claim them all (Which some might have argued would be the smarter thing to do), she gave them a chance to live. This was their warning; next time they would be dead.

The initial shock of surprise dead body! having worn off, On was restored, and Eiji proceeded.

"As you will, Bayushi-ue." he said. "I've brought the treaty with the Boar for your approval"

He laid the treaty before Kaguya for her examination.

The Scorpion will provide the Boar 5 lumber.

The Boar will provide the Scorpion 2 Tea and 3 Iron

The Scorpion and the Boar agree to a 20% reduction in tariffs for river traffic between Boar and Badger lands

Shosuro-ke no kashin Takemitsu Toru will wed into the Boar clan, marrying Heichi-ke no kashin Tsukamoto Kei."

[Bayushi Kaguya]

"Splendid. I wonder, why is it that our Dyes are not sought after?"

[Soshi Eiji]

"Splendid. I wonder, why is it that our Dyes are not sought after?"

This got another blink from the Lion. Not an, omg a dead body! blink, but one nonetheless.

"Our...dyes, Bayushi-ue? Forgive me, Bayushi-ue, but the ledgers we reviewed at the start of the season indicated that we had no dyes for trade. Rice, Weapon and arms, gaijin goods, gold, jade, lumber, and sake. Dyes were listed on the pages along with stone and other foodstuffs. We produced enough to satisfy our own needs, but no surplus. And in all the discussions we had among the delegation, this was accepted as a hard fact." he said.

He shook his head.

"Dyes would have made a world of difference in our negotiations. Nearly every great clan I met with was looking for dyes this season. We've been locked out of deal after deal, because when they couldn't find dyes with us, they negotiated with others."

[Bayushi Kaguya]

"Well, then I suppose that they will all come back to us soon, because we do have rather a glut of Shosuro-made dyes for trade, and with the Fox being our only competitors, and their production so poor, we shall have the hottest commodity on the market."

She shrugged. "And the Phoenix thought they were clever with their paper."

[Soshi Eiji]

"Well, then I suppose that they will all come back to us soon, because we do have rather a glut of Shosuro-made dyes for trade, and with the Fox being our only competitors, and their production so poor, we shall have the hottest commodity on the market."

She shrugged. "And the Phoenix thought they were clever with their paper."

Eiji certainly looked lost for a moment.

A....glut?

As someone of higher authority than he, in every conversation, Kaguya's was considered the correct opinion. In theory, if she said the sky was red, and Eiji said the sky was blue, then the sky was red. Eiji was just having a little trouble reconciling what was accepted as true, and what was literally written down.

"I....see. I think, perhaps, it might be wise to conduct a review of our resources, Bayushi-ue. Given that the Dragon just fought a duel this morning over a misunderstanding of resources, I would not like to find myself in a similiar situation. I will see to that at once." he said with a bob of the head.

"Ah, on a related note, we do have a very small trade with the Dragon for you to approve:

The Dragon will provide:

(1) unit of copper

The Scorpion will provide:

(1) unit of sake.

The Scorpion and Dragon agree to an exchange of scholarship (1 use of Scorpion informtion for 1 use of Dragon wisdom resource)."

"No marriage agreement for such a small trade, of course, not with the candidates we have left." he concluded.

[Bayushi Kaguya]

"The exchange of scholarship does seem sufficient. Have the Dragon given an indication as to what they would like to know?"

[Soshi Eiji]

Eiji shook his head.

"It may well be that the Dragon are simply enjoying the puzzle of 'What is the single best question to get an answer to?' When one is not the Master of Secrets, answering one question, more often than not, simply leads to another question." he mused.

[Bayushi Kaguya]

"I am afraid that is often true for the Master of Secrets as well." She looked down at the corpse. "The reflexive nature of the arrangement is not lost on me. Togashi Mizohachi's wisdom is impressive, but our questions are many."

[Soshi Eiji]

Eiji's eyes are drawn to where his champion's go.

"I suppose that is the end of questions, Bayushi-ue. One does not run out of questions to ask, merely out of time to ask them. I believe you have answered mine, with an affirmation of the two treaties. You even answered the ones I did not think to ask, with the exception of, 'Do you need anything else from me before I depart your presence?'

[Bayushi Kaguya]

"Um..." she thought on it a moment. "Actually...I require a thing. There is a set of logs controlled by the Seppun Family which records who visited the Empress on the fourth and fifth days of court. I would like you to persuade someone else to ask Lady Seppun for it."

[Soshi Eiji]

"Um..." she thought on it a moment. "Actually...I require a thing. There is a set of logs controlled by the Seppun Family which records who visited the Empress on the fourth and fifth days of court. I would like you to persuade someone else to ask Lady Seppun for it."

Eiji frowned as he considered that. He was not exactly in Lady Seppun's book club. He thought about the people he'd talked to over the course of the court, and it was doubtful any of them had that kind of pull. There was one he had talked about who might though.....

"I think that is possible, Bayushi-ue....although I will need to be able to provide a favor to them for such a thing. Would Bayushi-ue approve my open support of one of the Winds to accomplish this thing?"

[Bayushi Kaguya]

"I would," Bayushi Kaguya said. "We must all make sacrifices to serve the throne. That can be yours."