The following days were an incredibly complex dance of interwoven plots. They prepared for Sophia’s business in the background as their machinations over the Great Chu began to take effect. Elenore decided to be bold with her isolation of the information leaks, and Argrave was more than willing to help her. Her boldness rested in the fact that she intended to both probe for leaks and carry out their plans simultaneously.
Elenore’s probes were quite sophisticated, yet they had the execution necessary to carry them out. She used Argrave as an instrument to subtly convey different courses of actions to each and all divine ally at their back. Each was different enough to be easily identifiable, yet not enough to arouse suspicion if shared among the others.
Argrave stood on the coast of the south Great Chu, another towering figure with him for a private meeting. “The bottom line is this—before we can assault the sky tower, we need to take the Palace of Heaven,” Argrave said, staring up at one of Law’s Justiciar’s. “And you... I want you to be prepared for a direct assault. It’s central.”
A robust agreement, a few more exchanged words... then the next god, Rook.
“The bottom line is this...” Argrave began identically as he spoke to Rook, who wore wholly black. “We need to take the Palace of Heaven. And you... I’ll need your subterfuge capability for that. It’s central.”
“The bottom line is this,” Argrave spoke next to Almazora, defending Vasquer from continental siege in Dirracha at the perfect center of the kingdom. “We’ll need your magic to take the Palace of Heaven.”
Next, he looked to the wizened Lira. “The bottom line, Lira, is that we’ll need your connections to take the Palace of Heaven.”
He came to the young blond boy that was Anneliese’s patron, speaking all too-familiar tones. “Bottom line, Yinther, we need to know the Palace of Heaven completely to take it.”
“Bottom line,” he began time and time again, for each and all god involved in his plans—even Hause, though her conversation was far removed from the others in light of her stay-at-home role.
And after telling each and every deity of the Blackgard Union the ‘bottom line,’ Argrave told each god that they were central to his plans. Each and all conveyed the same message—that the Palace of Heaven was their goal—but each was simultaneously different enough that they could isolate which deity was the weak link.
Stain, meanwhile, their contact, was supposed to occasionally speak to Governor Zen and see if any of that information had made its way to him. Governor Zen seemed to make a habit of letting them know what he knew, but even if he didn’t, Elenore could easily apply some pressure to get that information from him. With that set as the background, their plans unfolded.
“It’s time for your debut in a few days,” Argrave looked at Ji Meng. “The emperor, returned to quell this madness that’s arisen in his absence. Recovering from a wound, and so relying upon his Grand Commandant Sun. Even still... how are you at speeches? I expect some good ones.”
“Then you’ll get good ones,” Ji Meng promised. “I do question if what you’ve stirred is going to be enough to win over the whole of the Great Chu relatively bloodlessly. Even if we declare the imperial court traitors to the emperor...”
“Governor Zen deliberately made succession the key issue,” Argrave explained. “Most rival factions are claimant factions—factions that cease to be valid when the true emperor returns. Your empress has let the harem run a little free with claimants and schemes the past while, but now she’ll bring it all back in line. And besides, Governor Zen won’t immediately switch sides. He’ll remain with the court for a time, deliberately sabotaging things before switching sides when it’s most prudent.”
“You seem to have it figured out.” Ji Meng looked up, his face deadly serious. “King Argrave. Queen Anneliese.”
Argrave straightened his back, brought to attention by his strange formality. “What?”
“How does a fruit destined to be juiced preserve itself?”
Argrave blinked in stunned silence. “I’m not sure I heard you correctly—did you say juiced?”
Ji Meng held his arms wide. “In order not to be juiced... the fruit must never run out of juice.”
“What?” Argrave gaped, at a loss. “I think every fruit runs out of juice at some point. They don’t exactly pick and choose how juicy they are. If this is a metaphor, you’ve lost me.”
“I refuse to elaborate.” Ji Meng picked up his cup and drank the whole thing in one go, then set it down with some vigor and exhaled loudly. “Ahh... I feel good. At ease, for the first time in months. I’m looking forward to things, King Argrave.”
Somehow, Argrave felt he lost this conversation. He looked at Anneliese and saw some the same confusion mirrored in her features. Nevertheless, the imperial stage awaited.