(Arashi's POV- Third person limited)

Arashi was looking through the reports. It wasn't great after all and it was exactly as he thought it would be.

Some of the laws needed to be changed...

He should have taken it to consideration before... And he was glad that Bianka put some lights on it. Come to think of it, Duke Gingiro Shimadzu had also mentioned about it since he followed the foreign rules. But he needed the emperor's imperial order to establish the rules officially.

Hiroshi might have reached Komaki by now, he thought and looked at a distance as his thoughts ran.

He knew for any bills to pass he needed a lot of support from other lords, especially the emperor whose decision would be final. Since the emperor would be the one to pass the law.

He closed his eyes for a second to think the names of the trusted and reliable companions of him who also held great power in the internal politics.

Lady Juhu, the countess of Mihashi.
Lord Genji, the earl of Bihano.
Lord Shido, Arashi's uncle who is also an earl.
Lord Ginjiro Shimadzu, Duke of Komaki.
Lady Shinohara Haruhito of Komaki. She was a powerful woman who looks after Komaki's state affairs.

And a few important people whom he had sent the invitations also letting them know of the urgency of the matter.

Uncle Shido didn't need any invitation because he was already in the castle. But Arashi had no idea if he would be supporting him or go against his proposal.

He was just a few years older than Arashi and had stayed neutral for all of his life. He had never shown any interest in partaking in gaining power for the throne nor did he had ever done any bad deeds to any of his brothers or to other territories. He had been quietly protecting his territory.

Arashi only asked him to support Bianka when Bianka was working in the imperial court as an accountant. Since Shido was very good at mathematics, he would be able to find out the problem regarding the distribution of their wealth.

And Uncle Shido agreed with it without hesitation although all he does was slacking off...

He sighed.

He was glad Lady Shinohara Haruhito was also helping them even when she had a lot of work in her sleeves.

There was a knock as Arashi's eyes fell on the door. "Come in."

It was uncle Shido with his even lazier eyes. He looked like someone had been making him do all the work.

Talk of the devil! Arashi asked, "Uncle Shido?"

He came inside and closed the door behind him as he complained, "Don't call me an uncle! I feel too old..." He muttered with a sigh which made him look like he had become a hundred years, "By how things are going, I'm feeling I have grown seventy years already... And that Shinohara Haruhito!!!"

Arashi chuckled, "But you are our uncle... And what did she do?"

He said with a hiss, "She had given me to look after the work that was done by your wife! Even though it had been completed! Just what does he think she is? A queen?"

He muttered again, "She has been ordering me around... Me! I am an earl! I have my own things to take care of!"

It certainly looked like he had been exhausted and dark bags had formed under his eyes.

Arashi almost felt bad unless he said, "Urgh..." And slumped on the chair lazily, "I was working on a new equation and I want to finish it! But I'm halfway through there..."

Arashi gave him a look. It meant he wasn't exhausted because of the work of an earl but because of his hobby.

Shido gave a displeased look as he handed Arashi a few papers. Arashi took it and saw it was the accounts details.

"You came here to report me?" He asked. "You could have called Koji or send one of your men, uncle Shido."

"Well, I have to say I was really irritated when you gave me the job and knowing I would be working with someone irritating, I wanted to refuse..." He said with an even irritated face. He didn't need to ask Arashi to take a seat nor does Arashi had to give him any orders. He was a neutral person unless someone interrupted his hobbies.

Arashi knew well who was this irritated person. He had a problem with women especially the ones who try to boss him around. He absolutely despised it.

Although, they were uncle and nephew in regard of relations, Arashi and Shido had been friends even though they rarely talked. Shido had powers on Kuro soldiers as well since after Arashi, Shido was the one with a great knowledge and an intelligent brain. He was the best strategist.

Although he liked to stay hidden so no one could pester him or annoy him.

"So what made you change your mind, uncle Shido?" Arashi asked.

"Your wife."

Arashi's brow raised. "My wife?"

"Yes, Bianka." Shido sat straight on his chair and pointed out the paper Arashi was holding and he said, "Take a look at it. It's your wife's work before taking a long leave. I only rechecked after her. Also she must have worked day and night because she had finished at least give years of counting the wealth of Wansai."

Arashi looked at it. At first he didn't understand but then he realised there were a large sum of money went to somewhere in the name of military funds of Wansai yet, there's no record of it in the accounts of the military funds.

And not only that, there were a lot of donations from the emperor and from the empress to the temple for over a decade. There was a strange buying of of goods as well. It wasn't largely ordered but every week, there was a case where some goods were being bought.

Someone had even counted the good's amount and how much had been spent on them. At the end of it, Arashi was surprised to find that it was a really large amount of every single orders were added together.

Arashi looked at uncle Shido as Shido gave a smirk.

He said, "You certainly have a capable wife..."

Arashi smiled. "That I have...but what did she do?"

Shido gave him a look. "Are you seriously her husband? The sum of amounts had been counted by her. Apparently she didn't know what it was so she just counted it and also marked the other unknown expenditures with red cross."

Arashi wasn't sure if he should be impressed or terrified. "These are all done by Bianka?"

Uncle Shido smirked. "Yes. Just imagine if you had taught her everything, she could have become the greatest woman with far greater knowledge."

A proud smile crawled on his face as he heard those words from uncle Shido. Uncle Shido rarely praised anyone and if he was praising Bianka that meant she was certainly worthy of the title of being an accountant of Wansai.

But she couldn't go to the imperial court now... It was too dangerous.

Shido said as he scratched his head and leant back on the chair, "Both Haruhito and I have been working on the total tax Wansai collects from all over the empire, it seems..."

"Someone is secretly robbing us under our noses..." Arashi finished the words as Shido nodded.

Arashi placed his finger under his chin as his thoughts once again ran.

Uncle Shido said, "By the way, why she isn't coming to the imperial court? Has she already gotten bored with counting the numbers?"

Arashi said, "She's pregnant."

Uncle Shido nodded, "I see—what!"

He smiled and nodded. "And someone had attacked her on her last day of work when we were coming back to our quarters."

Uncle Shido's brows ceased together as concerned written all over his face. "Why didn't you say anything about it to me?"

Arashi said, "Both you and lady Shinohara were busy with your work and you say it yourself that you don't want to be called out unless it's really urgent."

Uncle Shido fumed with anger, "And this is exactly what we call urgent! What are you, an idiot? It seems you are..."

Arashi was now irritated. He was the one who didn't want to get entangled in the first place now he was complaining. What did he want?!

He said as his brow twitched, "Uncle, calling a prince an idiot on his face can get you annihilated."

He discarded it with his hand swinging in the air and said, "Don't give me that! Shove annihilation in your butt. I'm too tired to die."

Arashi sighed. He wasn't going to change. It was glad that he doesn't open his mouth before other people or they would know he had a pretty bad mouth. His tall frame and a serious face made people think he was a pretty serious person but in the inside he was a lazy one who did his work only on a whim.

Arashi said, "Anyway, I need your advice on a really urgent matter which also includes this tax problems."

Uncle Shido gave a frustrated sigh. "I want to finish my equation..."

"Oh, you're going to finish it anyway so can you concentrate on this matter, please?!"

"Fine. Start talking."

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3rd February, 23
1570