"More pointless decoration?" Crown Princess Azula, now also Colonial Minister Azula, asked curtly as she regarded the table made of polished ivory and inlaid with far too much gold and gems. It was a garish and delicate piece, its surface barely thicker than a plank. It was also her predecessors - and now her - workstation. The noon's sunlight spilling in from the office's sole window gave the precious metal and stones a gleam that made the room feel hotter.
Saishen tried not to let her eyes linger on the gaudy furniture for too long and instead referred to the checklist in her hands. "A gift from the Sansho family. We are, of course, tracing the cause of this bribe."
"If it's not to buy a high ranking post in the colonies, I'll be sorely disappointed," the princess said as she walked over to kneel by the table, her formal dress of red and black clashing with its gaudiness. She picked at a red gem idly. "I expect our kingdom's nobility to be more savvy with their trades."
The eye-stabbingly bright tapestry just outside her office with enough gold thread to weigh down the nails and hooks holding it up had apparently been a 'gift' from a different mercantile family for securing warehouse rights. A rather expensive trade for such a cheap service, to both Saishen and her royal employer's views.
Azula lightly tapped on the table as she glared at it with harsh appraisal, and then her hand went up higher, and came down much harder.
The ivory table, unsurprisingly, broke in half with a loud snap. There were strobing glints as loosened gems bounced and rolled away.
Saishen was used enough by now to remain unfazed as the princess leveled a bemused look at her.
"Get me a real table. One that won't creak or snap when I have to make my point."
"I'll have a replacement by the end of the day, your highness."
A sturdier, more utilitarian table had already been bought and kept aside in anticipation of the princess' reaction. Saishen hadn't seen it herself, but the other agents had spoken of Princess Azula's penchant for suddenly slamming her hand or hands onto her table when she wanted to cut the simpering short, or to vent her frustrations on the latest inane court drama that accidentally threatened her plans.
A thin ivory table would never stand a chance.
"Get someone to pry the gold and baubles out, then have it all sent to my father." She nudged the bisected table with her knee. "See if anyone can get some value out of this scrap."
"I'll distribute them to some artisans. Do you want their works to be gifted to the Fire Lord as well?"
Azula paused in thought for a few seconds before shaking her head. "Hm… No. Unless it's dragon bone, he won't care. See if you can find people to work all of this into more practical pieces. Chopsticks, badges, accessories. They'll serve as decent tokens in the future."
Saishen nodded. "It will be done."
"Good. Now then…" The princess gave the broken table one final, contemptuous look before rising to her feet. "The day's still young. Report."
The agent-turned-secretary returned her attention back to her papers in her hands and flipped a few pages. "The disgraced magistrates you've brought on board will take time to fully ascertain the operations of the ministry, but some major discrepancies have already been noted."
Azula raised an eyebrow, and Saishen offered her the relevant sheets.
"The loss from harvest spoilage is within expectations on paper, but according to a couple of magistrates who were tasked over farming communities, it's above what's realistically possible. The colonies have a gentler climate than our islands, and they should not suffer the same typhoons as we do here."
The princess gave a tight hum. "I see. It's being verified?"
"It will be, once the…appropriate staff begin their work."
Appropriate as in the men and women the crown princess had rescued from obscurity and shame, like the once exiled magistrates she now used as hounds to sniff out corruption. Those few administrators who were ousted from the ministry due to office politics were also brought back to unearth their rivals' dirt.
The existing staff of the Colonial Ministry were still being assessed for their reliability and loyalties, and Princess Azula was just waiting for an excuse to replace several more prominent posts with her own people who were more competent and eager to prove their worth.
She skimmed through the papers for a moment before handing them back to Saishen.
"Good. Wait for the scheme to be confirmed, then tell these magistrates that they're each allowed to make a request from me, for a job well done. A reasonable request."
Which, as crown princess, meant that they could ask for practically anything short of major titles and certain hereditary property owned by more powerful noble families.
"Of course, your highness." Saishen bowed to hide her smile, unsurprised at her employer's generosity. Princess Azula did not mind loosening her purse strings to reward the talented. Prove your worth and you'd be paid accordingly, thus exceptional results received exceptional rewards.
"If there's nothing else on that front…" the princess presently said.
Saishen gave a quick shake of her head to confirm it, and moved to the final task of the day. "Colonial Overseer Dae is awaiting your pleasure."
"Right, him. Call him in, then."
It didn't take long for Saishen to locate and usher the one-armed overseer into the princess' office, where she still stood aside from the broken table. A look from the princess had the agent remain in the room.
"Belated congratulations on your promotions, Overseer Dae," Princess Azula greeted with a wry smile.
The man bowed deeply, the voluminous sleeve of his robe swooshing softly as he raised his only hand up in a loose fist before his lowered head. "Your highness is too kind. If not for your graciousness, this humble servant would not have had the chance to ascend to this rank."
There was no mistaking the smug air that leaked out of her. "Hm. It's good that you're aware. You should also be aware of the significance of your position, I take it? The first man from the colonies to be granted such a rank?"
Dae's head shifted in a short nod.
"Good," Azula repeated. "There is much expected of you, overseer, and I hope that you will not disappoint me or the home you're representing."
"I would tear off this arm of mine with my bare teeth than allow myself such disgrace, your highness."
The princess smirked with approval and amusement. "No need for theatrics, though it'd be nice if some of the congee-brained dolts I have to deal with had the same convictions you do. It'd make for an interesting show at least… Anyway, Overseer Dae. Your thoughts on the state of the colonial ministry?"
It took a solid second before Dae rose slightly to answer. "Most of the bureaucrats can be retained," he slowly said. "However, most of the overseers and senior administrators have…arrangements with certain people and companies who have interests in the colonies."
"Egregious agreements, hopefully? Perhaps even treasonous?"
Saishen felt a twinge of discomfort when the scars on the overseer's face twisted as he grinned. "I would need time to uncover their true nature…but I do not think it would be hard to construe such corruption in a light that your highness might prefer."
The princess smiled as she nodded with approval. "Excellent. We're off to a promising enough start. You have a decent enough pool of talent to draw from, use it as you see fit. Be as subtle or as blatant as you like, but be effective."
Her attention shifted to Saishen. "I want operations shifted to anyone involved with the colonial ministry," she ordered. "It's expected for everyone to skim off the tributes coming from across the sea, so I want the girls to look for those who use buckets instead of ladles."
The older woman bowed in affirmation. "I will gather your servants, and you will have our strategies by the end of the week."
Azula nodded again, tighter and a tad bit more vicious this time as she regarded her two subordinates. "I'll give you two months. Our goal remains the same: Purge the corruption and correct the mismanagement from this ministry, and make it obvious to my father's court. I want everyone to know what has been allowed to fester here, and the parasites responsible for it. The more rotten wood we throw out of here, the less resistance I'll have to deal with when I begin implementing actual improvements to the colonies."
"By your will," both Saishen and Dae replied, the latter definitely sounding more eager as he had everything to gain from this.
"Excellent. Now, Dae, I've got another task for you. A sidetask, if you will. I want caches set up in every colony, if possible. Otherwise, just focus on the major ones first."
Thankfully the overseer voiced the confusion Saishen felt. "Caches, your highness?"
Azula gave a curt nod. "Inconspicious and out of the way, easy to access." She paused before adding reluctantly, "for my brother and uncle to access. In the same vein, I want to be immediately informed about their latest movements."
Now that she was the colonial minister, there was no need for the crown princess to constantly have Saishen or the other agents plucking out the information from the shadows.
Dae's eyes lit up in understanding and he bowed again. "Ah, I understand, princess. Your compassion for your family is-"
"Don't," Azula interrupted with a flash of a scowl. "I've got enough of that idiocy in court already."
Saishen blinked in surprise. Princess Azula was not one to shy away from basking in praise and compliments.
Unless it might be seen as an insult…
"My stupid brother will eventually have to come back and resupply. Obviously, I'd rather not have him waste everyone's time going all the way to Zilang each time to do so. If not for dum-dum, then at least for my uncle who's clearly not getting any younger."
But there was no barb or offense in this.
Unless she considered the task so trivial that it was beneath what was worthy of praise. Once again, Saishen was impressed by how compassionate the princess was - however prickly it might be. Despite her calculative personality, she cared deeply enough about her family to take it for granted.
"I swear, Xing and his little plans…"
Or it could be because her Scorpion of a boyfriend asked her to?