Chapter 105. Events
The day after Lao's coronation, news arrived from the border territories. The Fire Nation's spies were not idle. As we suspected, their troops had attempted to push further, thinking the chaos in the capital would weaken the Earth Kingdom's army. After several attacks, they realized the army's combat readiness hadn't diminished, and they couldn't make a sudden advance into the country.
In the end, I couldn't escape the endless bureaucracy. Lao knew me too well to let me slip away. Within a week, the Earthbending masters had rebuilt the Earth King's Palace, almost identical to its previous version. This was possible because the blueprints and plans for the old structure were already available, and to save time, they decided to recreate it exactly.
During the construction, the government moved to one of the residences in the Upper Ring. For a while, I had to work as a living lie detector, identifying among the high-ranking officers and aristocrats those who supported Long Feng's policies.
- "My family has been a pillar of the Earth Kingdom for centuries! I'm outraged by what that scoundrel did behind our backs!" declared another obvious "patriot" of his country. One thing you couldn't take away from the local aristocrats was their oratorical and acting skills—they'd be better off performing in theaters...
Catching Lao's questioning glance, I quietly shook my head. Our loudmouth was immediately taken away by Lao's trusted men.
- "This is outrageous! You have no right to do this!" he protested. "Hey, don't get my clothes dirty with your filthy hands!" he added, finding other reasons to complain.
- "We didn't even get to ask him any questions. Are you sure about him?" Lao asked when we finally had a moment to spare.
- "Evidence was already found in his house proving his complicity with the leader of the Dai Li. Plus, he controlled a third of all shadow businesses—the dirtiest part of it," I added, my face darkening slightly. Sometimes, it was hard to fathom how someone could be so cruel to their own people...
While I helped Lao with the city's elite during the day, I spent my nights untangling the relationships of local gangs. They were the primary sources of information.
- "Any movements toward the former King?" The question wasn't trivial. Many wealthy individuals didn't want the upcoming changes, so they were ready to become "fighters for justice," claiming Lao Beifong had seized power by force, leaving the true King Kuei behind.
- "There's no avoiding it," Lao said helplessly. "But recently, I deliberately leaked official documents signed by Kuei," he added, narrowing his eyes cunningly.