Chapter Text
Zuko walked into the meeting room, trying to look regal and not show his nerves. He was meeting with the twelve governors of the various colonies. All of them were grown adults with several decades worth of experience more than him. Yet he needed to project confidence, and get them to if not agree then at least go along with his plans.
“Governors, I appreciate you making the journey to the capitol,” Zuko began formally, taking his seat at the head of the table.
He had decided that the meeting really did not need to take place in the Throne Room when there were plenty of other rooms that would suffice. Besides, the row of flames and having the table be several meters away from him would be an impediment.
The assembled governors made a variety of polite replies at the same time, saying that it was no hardship, they were honoured to serve, that they were at the Fire Lord’s call and so on.
“As I begin my reign, I wish to familiarize myself with matters of state so that I may best direct the course of the Fire Nation, including our colonies. I invite you to report on the status of the colonies and raise any issues that require my attention,” Zuko said.
He was getting a lot better at the formal court speech. Azula was helping him, and they were planning out in advance some of the things he would say.
“Rotaso Colony is experiencing some continued struggles related to the Shufo battlefront, including supply delays and some food shortages. We are also experiencing raids from Earth Kingdom soldiers in the villages closest to the battlefront” Governor Hu Heli said first, after everyone was silent for a moment.
Zuko nodded, writing down notes while trying to not draw attention to the fact that he was writing down notes. That sort of thing was normally done by a secretary or assistant while the people in the meeting focused on the discussion, but Uncle had dismissed all of his father’s scribes. He was having interviews with potential candidates, as well for the open war council positions, in a few days.
“I will have additional food sent for both the civilians and the military,” Zuo said.
“Tochuna Province has been experiencing attacks from bandits, who are killing peasants and stealing supplies. If the Fire Lord would deign to grant us supplies or funding to better defend from these bandits, it would be a great boon,” Governor Zhu Dizhu said.
“I shall consider it. Send me the reports of these attacks as soon as possible,” Zuko said.
Uncle suspected Governor Dizhu of embezzlement of official funds. He was currently looking for proof, however it was not an urgent priority as Uncle was focusing on evaluating the loyalties of his father’s closest supporters. Nevertheless, Zuko did not want to send additional supplies or funds to Tochuna Province if the bandit attacks were a ruse and whatever he sent would just go into Governor Dizhu’s pockets.
“Minister Pantu,” Zuko began, turning to the former governor who had been included in the meeting. “I have decided to appoint Sei’naka Niju as the new governor, at your recommendation. I already sent a message via hawk informing him of his new role, and instructing him to come to the capitol to swear loyalty and be officially instated as the new governor.”
“Thank you, your highness. You shall not be disappointed by Governor Niju’s service,” Minister Pantu said.
“Now, I wish to speak of the war. For ninety-seven years we have fought to take over the Earth Kingdom, longer than any here has been alive. My great-grandfather Sozin and his war council expected that it would take less than a decade to conquer Ba Sing Se and fully take control of the Earth Kingdom. Several generations later, the war has become stagnant, with our forces fighting over scraps of territory, advancing only to retreat later. At the beginning of the war we saw tremendous success, taking over vast amounts of territory, yet now our greatest military victories over the past few years are winning control over a handful of hills.”
“During this, our nation has suffered as we have poured so much expense and labour into the war with little return for that investment. We train young soldiers who go off to die within years, we spend money on weapons and supplies that do not succeed in achieving the goals of the war, while the scientific advancements and vibrant culture that we were once so known for has faded in the shadow of the war.”
“I wish to revitalize the Fire Nation, and bring glory by restoring our great nation to the heights we once achieved. In order to so, we must turn our focus away from fighting over scraps of land, and towards improving what we have. That is why I am going to be offering terms of peace to the Earth High King, to discuss ending the war.”
Zuko tried not to look too nervous, or to glance at Uncle. It was the first time he had spoken of peace negotiations with the Earth Kingdom itself, not just the smaller semi-sovereign areas like Kyoshi Island or the Water Tribes. It was important that he convinced most of the governors to agree.
Next week, Zuko would be making an announcement to the entire court about his plans to pursue peace. It would go a lot smoother if he had the governors’ support, however grudgingly, in addition to Uncle’s anti-war supporters.
“Your highness, you cannot simply abandon the war, not when we are on the verge of success!" asked Governor Yun Tuhuangdi, one of his father’s loyal supporters whose colony boasted the largest naval base and one of the main shipyards. Tuhuangdi was a tyrant who imposed harsh measures on the people under his control.
“My nephew is the Fire Lord, blessed by Agni himself. His word is law, and must be obeyed by all of his subjects. You would do well to remember that, lest your loyalties be called into question,” Uncle said.
The governors all heard the implied threat, some blanching as they nodded at Uncle and made assurances of their loyalty. Zuko appreciated the support, but it was important to address the underlying concern.
“We are not on the verge of success, the war has become functionally immobile, with the battlefronts never advancing more than a kilometer a year. That is why we will extend an offer of peace, and invite the Earth Kingdom as well as other notable parties to negotiate to end this war.”
“What if the Earth Kingdom refuses to negotiate?” Governor Hu Heli asked.
“Our offer will come from a position of strength. The Fire Nation has the upper hand, and we will be reminding the rest of the world of that. We could easily choose to continue the war, but instead are offering peace and they would do well to accept the offer,” Zuko said.
“You use the term negotiations, yet negotiations typically involve both sides offering some concessions. What will you be giving to the Earth Kingdom?” Governor Ying Shengzhang asked.
He had been appointed by Azulon, and had not been blindly loyal to Zuko’s father the way some of the other governors were. His father had wanted to remove Governor Shengzhang from his position, but it was far harder to remove appointed governors without cause than it was to dismiss a member of the war council. That was one of the reasons it was so important that Zuko get the governors to support his plan.
“What I offer the Earth Kingdom is peace, and an agreement not to conquer any more of their territory. “I assure you, I have no intention of giving up any existing Fire Nation territory. Any peace negotiations would be conducted towards the goal of focusing on the wellbeing of the Fire Nation rather than conquering new territory. We cannot simply stop the war unilaterally. If we were to suddenly stop fighting, then the Earth Kingdom would surely attack us immediately. Hence, some agreement needs to be reached,” Zuko said.
“And when the Earth Kingdom wants the colonies back? What then?” Governor Ji Ekonu asked, directing the question to Uncle.
“Then I will remind them that we are the ones who hold the power in the negotiations, and we are perfectly capable of continuing the war if we cannot come to an agreement. The colonies are part of the Fire Nation. Some of the land that is currently being fought over may be ceded back to the Earth Kingdom, or borders being minutely adjusted to line up with the nearest river, mountain range or other strategic point so that we can better defend our territory, but I will not give them any more than minor concessions,” Zuko said.
In his future, the Earth Kingdom had been pushing for control over the colonies in the slow negotiations via letter. However the Fire Nation had been in a drastically different position back then, with Ozai defeated and Ba Sing Se being retaken. Not to mention that Aang, for all Zuko respected the young monk, took a rather simplistic view of international politics. The Earth Kingdom was inherently good, and the Fire Nation was inherently bad, although Zuko had chosen to be good and the peasants weren’t at fault. He thought that the Fire Nation should just agree to whatever the Earth Kingdom demanded, and the generals advising King Keui had been more than happy to take advantage of that.
The Earth Kingdom had initially wanted to take back all of the colonies and kick out those from the Fire Nation. They had given no thought to the fact that most colonies were decades old, and the lines between Earth and Fire were not as clear cut. Most people in the colonies were born there, and plenty were born of mixed-blood. Would they kick out those with one Fire and one Earth parent? Split up families? What about those who were fully Fire but born to a family that had lived in the colonies for generations? Those who were part Earth but firebenders? King Kuei had not had any answers for these questions in their negotiations.
Now though, the Fire Nation was at the height of their power. They were the ones making the decision to end the war, and they had a much better bargaining position. Zuko would not be giving up the Fire Nation territory where his people had resided and mixed with the native Earth population to the point there was no longer a difference. Perhaps some of the more recent colonies could be given the option to choose themselves, but that could be offered as a concession for the negotiations.
“Nephew, it may be for the best to return some of the colonies to the Earth Kingdom. After all, they used to belong to the Earth Kingdom, and it is mainly earthers who live there. Giving the colonies back would lead to friendlier relations with the Earth Kingdom, and would lessen the outsized influence the Fire Nation has in the world,” Uncle said.
That was quite clearly the wrong thing to say. The governors were reacting with a mixture of shock, anger, offense and worry. Uncle was clearly advocating for the goals of the White Lotus rather than the Fire Nation, not that anybody knew about the White Lotus. A meeting of the colonial governors was very much the wrong time and place for Uncle to bring up such a proposal.
“We will not be cheerfully handing over territory that Fire Nation soldiers have fought and died for simply because it would make the Earth Kingdom more inclined to be friendly,” Zuko said firmly. “And we most certainly will not be willingly lessening the Fire Nation’s power just because it would be in line with philosophical notions of a balanced world.”
Several of the governors seemed relieved at that, especially Governor Shengzhang who looked exceedingly pleased with Zuko’s reply. But several of them were glancing nervously between Zuko and Uncle. Right, the majority of the court was under the impression that Zuko was nothing more than a puppet and this was the first time he was going against Uncle in public or in private. They probably thought that Zuko’s opinions wouldn’t matter much, and that Uncle would convince him of his views later.
“Nephew, I would like to remind you that you are young, and have limited experience in both governance and in matters of war. That is why I am your Regent, to guide you and advise in your decisions while you gain greater experience,” Uncle said.
Zuko held back a flinch at Uncle’s carefully controlled tone. It hurt to have such a look of disappointment directed at him when he cared so much for Uncle’s opinion. But what was best for the White Lotus was not what was best for the Fire Nation, and it was Zuko’s job as Fire Lord to put the Fire Nation first.
“You are correct Uncle, I am young. But I am not oblivious to the happenings of the world, nor will I be easily led about. I intend to take advice from various perspectives, so that I may fully understand how any decision will impact all involved. The Fire Nation includes the colonies, and shall continue to include the colonies. In matters relating to the colonies, I gladly welcome advice from my governors, who understand the situation in their territories best,” Zuko said, ending with a nod at the assembled governors.
“Wise words your highness,” Governor Shengzhang.
“You have my support in this plan. I believe peace is the best course of action, and will benefit the Fire Nation tremendously,” Governor Yazaok said.
Zuko had been hoping for his support, and gave the governor a polite smile. He was the most reasonable of the governors, and had gotten rid of many of the restrictions on earthers in Linsho Province, as well as creating meal-halls where peasants could go for a free meal.
Governor Ty Lianje and Laishan Pianzi nodded at the other governors’ words but did not say anything. Lianje was very uptight and lived by the rulebook, he wouldn’t oppose the Fire Lord as long as Zuko was acting reasonably. Pianzi was the governor Zuko knew the least about, as he seemed to avoid doing anything that would draw attention.
The rest of the governors looked amenable to his plans, with the exception of Governor Yun Tuhuangdi who was scowling at the room.
“Nephew, perhaps we could discuss this in private?” Uncle asked, trying to regain control of the situation.
“Matters relating to the colonies can be discussed in front of the governors, Uncle. As I said, their input is most relevant,” Zuko said firmly.
The governors looked pleased at this, a few straightening up or puffing out their chests. Others still looked tense at Uncle’s words, but seemed glad that Zuko was so clearly willing to prioritize what they had to say.
“Very well,” Uncle acquiesced.
The matter was clearly not over, and Uncle would likely bring up the subject later in private. For now, he was hesitant of being too overt in opposing Zuko and attempting to exert control through his role as Regent given Zuko was not agreeing to his demands. In the delicate balance of power that made up the court, being seen to attempt and fail to exert power over him was far more damaging than simply disagreeing on a given point.
Already, the governors were watching the exchange with rapt attention. They would be speaking to others of this as soon as the meeting concluded. Within hours the entire court would know that Uncle had wanted to give up some of the colonies, that Zuko opposed him and that Uncle had tried and failed to get Zuko to listen to him rather than the governors. Actually, he should probably say something about speaking to the court at large.
“Are there other concerns or questions regarding my plan?” Zuko asked, turning back to the governors.
There was a pause.
“Your highness, you spoke of revitalizing the Fire Nation. Yet so much of our economy is dependent on the war effort, through military equipment, supplies, ships, weapons and so on. What about the blacksmiths who forge our soldier’s armour, the shipwrights who build and repair our navy, all of the ordinary people of the Fire Nation whose livelihood is dependent on the war effort?” Governor Saowon Zairen asked.
His colony was the first conquered, an island city-state taken over before Sozin’s Comet, and was the most integrated. There was little distinction between Fire and Earth, and no discriminatory laws like some of the other colonies had. Yu Dao Colony had a significant amount of trade and industry with a sizable economy.
Zuko nodded, “You bring up a good point, Governor Zairen, for our society has become centred around the war. Especially the colonies, who produce so much of our military infrastructure. That is why I plan to continue the production of those goods that fuel our military, but use them for civilian purposes.”
“I am developing a plan for an advanced ferry system connecting the islands and the colonies for our people to easily move about the Fire Nation, which will use our naval ships once the war ends and jobs on these ferry ships will be offered to our naval sailors. The coal currently being used by the navy will go towards these ships. The factories that produce weapons and armour will be refitted to instead produce objects for civilian use. We will be sponsoring new inventions and ideas, so that production can continue and increase. We will create new technologies, new medical inventions, new ideas to benefit the Fire Nation. Industry will not come to a halt, it will merely adapt to create new products.”
“Such a shift will be costly, your highness, and some of the colonies are operating on tight budgets already,” Governor Xing Tanxin said. “Will the central government be funding these changes?”
“Yes, to a certain extent. We will not be entirely funding these shifts, but will be providing both grants and loans that will be paid back once the proposed changes begin resulting in increased revenue. The precise amount and type of funding will be decided on an individual basis. The Ministry of Finance has drawn up projections of the initial costs and then the heightened income,” Zuko said.
“I would greatly appreciate it if I could see those projections,” Governor Tanxin said, an eager gleam in her eye.
“I shall have them sent to you after the meeting,” Zuko nodded.
“What of your plans for the military?” Pantu asked, eyes flicking between Zuko and Iroh. “Surely a cessation of hostilities will mean less need for soldiers.”
Zuko suddenly became very aware that Pantu was chosen by Uncle specifically because he had been Lu-Ten’s companion and would be loyal to him first and Zuko second. Zuko’s goals still broadly aligned with Uncle, particularly in stopping the war, but it was still something to monitor.
“It has only been a few years since my father lowered the draft age from eighteen to sixteen. I will be reversing that decision, and raising it back to eighteen. Those who are sixteen years of age may still enlist if they wish to begin their military service early, but are not required to join the military until eighteen. That would mean that for the next two years, we would only have enlisted youth joining the military.”
“At such a time as when we successfully negotiate a peace treaty, I will re-evaluate our military needs in consultation with your expertise. It is of course important to maintain a standing military, but if it seems reasonable to reduce the size of the military we can consider reducing the length of mandatory service, granting exceptions for a wider array of reasons, or even transitioning to an enlistment-only military,” Zuko said.
He planned on getting rid of mandatory service within the two year period after he raised the draft age where nobody was getting drafted. But suggesting it as one of a handful of options would seem more reasonable at this point in time, and get people acclimated to the idea.
“When you raise the draft age, will that apply to those who have already turned sixteen but have not yet begun their training?” Pantu asked.
Training for new soldiers lasted six months before they were deployed, and a new cohort began every six months at the start of the year and halfway through. Rather than having soldiers start service on their birthday and having everyone begin training on different days, soldiers entered training as part of the first cohort that began after they turned sixteen.
“Those who have not yet begun training will not be required to do so until they turn eighteen. Those who wish to enlist may of course enter the cohort that begins after they turn sixteen. If you have any objections, I am amenable to discussing them. Although perhaps the specifics of raising the draft age would be better discussed at a meeting of the war council than a meeting of colonial governors,” Zuko said.
“Of course, your highness,” Pantu agreed.
After that, the rest of the governors did not raise any other objections. There were a few questions about specifics and some requests for records or projections. At least half seemed to be somewhat supportive for various reasons. Governor Tanxin was interested in the money to be made from the prioritization of industry, while Governor Yazaok was strongly in favour of ending the war and seemed to also be interested in more reforms.
Zuko ended the meeting by ordering the governors not to speak of the peace plan until he made a formal announcement. Rumours would likely leak out anyway, and the governors would find a way to say that Zuko had opposed Iroh without disclosing the contents of the point, but it would stem the flow of gossip.