Chapter 81. It Happens.
Ba Sing Se. Capital of the Fire Nation.
The flickering light of a candle cast a steady glow across the table, allowing me to comfortably read the dry, ambiguous lines of the reports.
"Only Old Man Jian is worth something," I muttered, setting the papers aside and slumping back in my chair, exhausted.
For nights now, I've been poring over the reports handed to me by Old Man Jian and Piandao. The deeper I delve, the less I want to continue reading...
The faction Azulon "gifted" to me turned out to be a collection of sycophants and failures. They were experts only at sensing which way the wind blew, which is why they'd managed to stay afloat for so long. Just empty shells.
"Should've seen it coming..." I grumbled, massaging my temples. "During Azulon's reign, there was barely any progress in conquering new lands. Under him, the promising industrial growth stalled. They were coasting on what Sozin had already built."
Old Man Jian didn't want to upset me, so he only revealed the full truth recently. Now I understand why he often speaks with disdain about the other members of our small group...
Over the years, Piandao has accumulated enough debts and connections to gather the freshest information for me. Still, I think this is just the tip of the iceberg.
"I'll have to replan everything," I concluded grimly. "Soon, I'll need to involve Yo and Dria. They're the ones who can gather primary information and eliminate those who stand in my way..."
My thoughts drifted to Fire Lord Ozai. His actions stir a storm of conflicting emotions within me. In the cartoon, he's portrayed as the main antagonist—a villain so evil they shove him in your face.
But just recently, he masterfully exposed a large number of corrupt military officers and officials who had been robbing their own country for years. The schemes were so intricate, there was no way to uncover them. It's a shame they didn't realize who now sits on the throne...