Part 18

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South of the city of Lipin stretched the forest of Baru. Dense and ancient, it had grown there for millennia, protecting the large city of Gaipan from its neighbours to the north. Hidden behind the mighty trees, Gaipan has always relied on its natural defences to keep any army from reaching it by land.

In the centuries since the city's founding, Gaipan's powerful lords and rulers have focused all their energies on maritime affairs. By blocking the river passages to the city, they lorded over the inland seas of the Earth Kingdom, dictating their terms of sea and river trade to the High Kings of Earth.

With the outbreak of war, all of the city's forces were focused on defending the last Earthking-controlled port of Xiahou on the western shore. It used to be a small trading post that guarded the entrance to the river delta, but over the seventy years of war, the tiny harbour town had become a fortress littered with heavy guns taken from enemy ships. The naval blockade of the town continued uninterrupted, with a large fleet of Fire Nation ships plying the western seas for fear of coming within striking range of Xiahou's guns.

The stone castle at the centre of the fortress was clad in metal. The eerie, grotesque structure stood out strongly, but the city's master and chief defender had insisted on it long before his death. Xiahou had long been the fiefdom of Cao Sun, a warlord of the Earth Kingdom who had died ignominiously in an attempt to retake Lu-Yang. His eldest son Cao Cao took over his father's inheritance, becoming actively involved in the affairs and concerns of the fortress. When news of his parent's death spread across the province, 'kites' began to fly to Xiahou. Day and night, condolers and other domestics bowed at the entrance to the metal castle, demanding an audience.

Heir Xiahou listened to these identical speeches for the first time. It seemed as if they were written by the same person. Pompous words about loss, requests for mutual aid, and so on and so forth. After the third such petitioner, Cao Cao banned useless fools from entering his domain, causing a lot of whispers behind his back. Vassals and trading partners from other provinces were unhappy with the decision of the agitated boy. Most of them thought that the enormous power had gone to the child's head, and that he should be given a guardian until he was old enough to make sense of it.

Infuriated by such a suggestion, Cao wanted to put the messengers' heads on spades, but received a letter from an old friend of his father's that he planned to visit Xiahou. Rapidly flying through the sparsely decorated halls of the castle, the master of the fortress came to the reception hall, where the Righteous Prince - Liu Chong was waiting for him.

A tall and statuesque man with a short moustache was surveying the view from the window. Dressed in a simple officer's uniform of the Earth Kingdom, he was distinguished from ordinary soldiers only by the presence of a couple of gold jewellery on his wrists, which showed his true status to all who knew.

The current ruler Ba Xing Xie had neither wife nor children. Mired in balls and ignorance, the man rejoiced in his harem and delicious food, completely ignoring the problems of his kingdom. The first heir to the throne and the main candidate for the throne was Liu Chong. Many times his supporters and friends suggested to him to seize power and lead the People of Earth to victory, but the Righteous Prince only shook his head negatively, telling all those dissatisfied with the power that he would not betray his cousin. Nobility or foolish idealism? Cao Cao's father often pondered over this question, but he never brought up the topic of changing power more than once. Before going to war, the boy's father had said that Liu Chong was the only one who could be trusted.

Polite bows and mutual greetings left behind, the two rulers secluded themselves in the study, sharing their thoughts. The conversation between the patient and kind Liu Chung and the fiery and vindictive child lasted a long time.

-Do not make hasty decisions, now you decide to break off all relationships, and when you need them, you can not play back. All these people are waiting for you to make a mistake, don't give them a reason.

Shaking his head admonitively, the prince enjoyed a mug of hot tea. Despite his asceticism and simple lifestyle, the man loved expensive varieties of the drink and spent huge sums to obtain rare brews.

-You must realise that you now have great power in your hands, and if you mismanage it, thousands of our fellow citizens may die and the country will be destroyed.

-I think you're exaggerating... -You're exaggerating...

-No, I'm not. Your father always said the Inland Sea is a direct route to the Earth Kingdom's throat. If Xiahou falls and Gaipan is captured, the Fire Nation's troops will be able to sail directly to the eastern provinces.

Regretfully setting aside his mug, Chun leaned forward, drawing the boy's attention to himself. Curling his fingers, the man did not take his eyes off the fortress ruler's face, trying to convey the seriousness of the situation.

-Firstly, the logistical route will be shortened. Right now, the enemy army is either sailing through the North Pole, being attacked by watermen, or travelling across the continent through the south, only to be met by Ba Sing Se's fleet at the end of the journey. With the path across the continent closed, King Bumi and his warriors have a firm grip on the southern shore and Gaolin, preventing the city's merchant magnates from crossing over to the enemy's side.

Listening carefully to Liu Chun's speech, the boy frowned his small eyebrows. Tapping his fingers on the table, he comprehended what he heard, agreeing with everything that was said.

-And secondly?

-Secondly, the Fire Nation's army that defends its colonies beyond the Ten-Ten River can be moved anywhere. Our western and southernmost provinces are holding on with their last strength, if the strike force under Prince Airo's command strikes there, they won't be strong enough to stop the invasion. A delicate balance is now frozen across the front, any disruption and our defences will be breached, tightening the noose and increasing the pressure of the enemy forces. The consequences will be catastrophic, so I pray you do not chop from the shoulder.

The prince had long since left his chair. Folding his hands behind his back, the man stood near the window, surveying the fortress defences. His voice was filled with sadness and excitement for the fate of his homeland. Born in a time of active conflict, Liu Chong hated war in all forms, he saw what happens to people who have been there. Therefore, the prince did not wish such a fate for all the poor people that lived in the central regions.

Exhaling through his nose, Chun returned to the table, calming his boiling emotions. Many times he had said all of the above to the generals and other kings, but most of them had ignored the warnings, believing that the great fortresses of the conquerors of the land would remain impregnable forever. His cousin in Ba Sing Xie generally responded to the letter with a standard polite reply. If the prince had more time, he would have visited the arrogant relative, but his own fiefdom took up too much of his time. Caring for his subordinate lands and defending his borders not only from the Fire Warriors, but also from rampaging brigands and savages, demanded the man's full attention.

-I hope you realise the full extent of the responsibility that has been placed upon your shoulders.

With the last word, the prince leaned back in the soft armchair. Sipping his tea and enjoying the exotic flavour of the rare leaves, Chun squinted amusedly, completely changing the tense atmosphere. Watching the sudden change of mood of his interlocutor, Cao Cao and himself allowed himself to relax a little. He would think over the words of his father's friend later, most likely agreeing with the prince's request, but now he could afford to think about something else.

-How are things in Gaipan? How does the great river protector live?

The prince's open eyes squinted dangerously. The soft and kind smile left his face, leaving only irritation and anger.

-Shi Xie is gaining power. Soon most of the city's aristocrats will be loyal to him, not me. Since your father's death and the loss of his influence, our coalition has lost many strings of power. Old Xie has been grooming doubters, gathering supporters. His strength grows every day.

Taking a small sip, Liu Chong stared into the void. As he continued to talk about the inner kitchen of Gaipan, the man sank into his thoughts, telling more and more. Cao, who was sitting across from him, was surprised at this kind of change. The inner strength was gone from his voice, and his eyes were like two extinguished coals barely smouldering in the wind.

-Maybe I should support you? Formally agree with what you're doing. I think we can solve both our problems.

The sharp gaze of brown eyes waited for the prince's response. Seeing the hard work of thought on the man's face, Cao chuckled deep down. The conversation with the famous Liu Chong was even easier than he had expected. His father's friend was exactly what everyone thought he was. Righteous to the point of horror and willing to help anyone who showed kindness to him.

'Naive fool, no wonder Shi Xie is taking power in the city that belonged to your ancestors.' Continuing to portray on his face a polite participation in the conversation and interest in the last question, Cao took a sip from the cooled mug. The bitter cold tea gave him a nasty sensation, but knowing Liu Chun's tastes, he diligently tolerated it. In recent days, the lord of the fortress had accustomed himself not to wrinkle at the taste of rare tea, which was so fond of his interlocutor. Closing his eyes to the huge price tag and drinking several cups a day, Cao was able to accustom his stubborn body to a neutral reaction.

-Yes, that's a good idea. Like your father, you're a good man, Cao Cao. I'm sure that together, we can deal with any enemies.

Following his interlocutor's example, Cao Cao stood up from his chair, sealing the verbal agreement with a handshake. Listening to the man's pompous speech, the young man could hardly contain his rolling eyes. All those phrases about the great country and the suffering of the people were already in his liver.

Squeezing the hand of his vis-a-vis, Cao smiled happily, hardly restraining sincere joy. A little pity, his favourite tea, a conversation about problems and the prince easily agreed to be his political shield. Now most of the intriguers and well-wishers will go to bow to Liu Chung, demanding from him various preferences for themselves, but the honest fool will not take advantage of the position and will politely send away any impudent.

The first little intrigue went off like clockwork. Cao Cao still couldn't understand why his father had never taken advantage of the prince in such a way, but he wouldn't deny himself such a thing.