Ch4: General

"General On, you requested to see me?"

On, the Oushi's General of the Left, was an imposing woman who looked to be in her late fifties, but was in fact nearly twice that. Her countenance carried age lines, but she had no wrinkles, making her look sever and dignified instead of old. She gave off the impression of a deep rooted tree.

"Indeed. Take a seat, Sub-Commander Saku." It had been a little more than a decade since Gyousou was made a minor officer of the Oushi, and had further distinguished himself until he rose to be a sub-commander in the Left Guard. His position was the highest rank of non-sennin, so it could be said he was the best was of the expendables; after all, if his position was really irreplaceable he would be immortal.

"May I inquire as to the nature of this interview?"

On steeled herself, "Have you perchance heard rumour of my impending retirement?"

"I do not put much validity into common gossip, but I have heard rumours to that effect."

"Well, for once, they are correct: I am resigning my position and have recommended you to succeed me. As you will doubtlessly be approached about the matter, I believed it only fair to notify you beforehand."

"Not one of the commanders? Not Commander Ganchou?" There was the general, and under the general were commanders of each regiment, and under the commanders were sub-commanders of each regiments' division. When a general retired she was normally succeeded by one of the commanders, so On's decision was stunning.

On shook her head. "It's true Ganchou – and many other commanders – are qualified for the position and normally I would recommend one of them. However, this is not the right time to have a merely adequate general. Saku, the regime is rolling down a slope to disaster. It began rolling right when it began, now it's built up momentum. Perhaps something will stop it before it smashes, perhaps not. The only thing I'm sure about now is that things are getting difficult and I'm not the woman I was. My family is all died ahead of me and all I can think about is joining them, everything else is a bothersome chore. I'm a decent general, perhaps even a good one, but I'm nothing exceptional. I'm no hero, and that's exactly what the people need: a hero. Ganchou could replace me but you," here she shook her head admiringly, "could be your own legend. The people need legends when everything else fails them. They need hope."

"What makes you think I could give it to them?" Gyousou was not doubting himself, but merely asking the reason why On acknowledged him as capable of this feat.

She looked squarely at him, hands folded under her chin. "Because you are determined to improve this country, even if you have to flip it upside down. Many people yearn for that, but those who will act on it are rare. Even rarer are those who will act honourably on it: there is no end to rebels trying to force the country to change using terror. But you, Saku, might just accomplish it using sheer determination."

Three weeks later it was announced that Gyousou was now General of the Left. He was 32 at the time.

The young sub-commander becoming general caused a great outcry and embittered many of the commanders. Fortunately Ganchou, Gyousou's former superior officer who had just become his subordinate, merely laughed, "So now the table's turned, eh? Always felt weird giving you orders."

His support was greatly appreciated, not only for friendship sake, but because most of the other commanders felt jaded and were openly hostile to him. The troops as well were used to the noble visage of On and didn't take well to being ordered around by a youth. Command was not easy, and Gyousou showed no mercy to those who infringed on any rules in the slightest, until he became grudgingly respected as the glacier general who carried his opponents off in an unstoppable icy current.

On the other hand, he was immediately popular with the king for reasons he couldn't fathom. It was said KyouOu was an excellent judge of character who could sniff out corruption faster than a bloodhound could blood, which might explain why the king valued him as an officer and depended on him, but Gyousou never did figure out why the king also personally liked him even though they were polar opposites.

Despite now being heavily relied upon by the king, the Taiho Tairin was just as distant as ever. But then even KyouOu admitted she never spoke more than a sentence or two at a time to him, so it was unsurprising. Old timers left over from the Scholar-King's reign claimed that she had once been shy, but not moping and aloof. Gyousou wondered if their memories were playing fanciful tricks on them.

Tairin rarely called the king to account over anything without being first urged by someone else, and didn't even frequently attend meetings. Supposedly she locked herself up in the libraries built and amassed with books by her first liege. Whatever it was she did, when the king suddenly declared he was going to host a festival there was no Taiho to gainsay him, and none of the ministers succeeded in convincing KyouOu the country finances couldn't support the proposition.

Even Gyousou had to admit the festivities were magnificent, but he couldn't help but morbidly wonder where the money spent on diamond studded napkins was meant to have gone. KyouOu had invited the rulers of neighbouring nations, so the treasury was also strained just entertaining the monarchs of Ryuu, Han, Kei, and En. Hou had no ruler and the queen of Kyou declared she had better things to do, like run a country.

The king of En also clearly wished to have played hooky; the death glares sent his way by the accompanying ministers from En showed who really had accepted the invitation. KyouOu, perceiving this highly important neighbour's boredom, started talking until the conversation turned to, of all things, Gyousou.

"…and then he charged into the encampment with only thirty men and apprehended all the renegades." Encouraged by the king of En's no longer glazed expression, KyouOu pressed on, "Perchance the Royal En might deign to grant my General of the Left a duel?"

Within 15 minutes it was arranged that Gyousou and the Royal En would compete in three duels over the next three days, with the festival goers as spectators. No one asked Gyousou his opinion, but it was unnecessary: as if he'd refuse the once in a lifetime opportunity to test himself against the great Royal En Shoryuu!

Before he dueled him he'd thought it astounding that this lazy, easy-going man was the king who had ruled for five hundred years and turned his dying country into the wealthiest in the world. After the first match he'd understood En's king was like an iceburg; the most impressive parts were hidden beneath the deceiving surface. Shoryuu was a truly an unyielding man, no matter what he's outer façade looked like. By the third fight it had come to be whispered that two legends, whose appearances were similar in age even if there was a five hundred year difference, were facing off against one another. The third match even those who boycotted the rest of the festival attended. The third match Gyousou won.

Once his youth made him despised; now it made his accomplishments impressive. The formerly sullen commanders stood proudly to the side as their general was awarded a sword by KyouOu. Where formerly any orders he issued would be cross examined for flaws inspired by youthful folly, suddenly they were sacrilege and to be followed to the letter. All his former victories were retold, and all his new successes were celebrated. His name spread all across the nation.

Saku Gyousou, formal name Boku Sou, the Oushi's General of the Left. The young sub-commander made general. The general who bested the legendary Shoryuu, king of En. The jewel in the crown.

Gyousou was Tai's hero.