Tyranny of Steel

While Berengar had begun to set sail for Southern Africa, Itami was back in her capital city, meeting with representatives from the Ming Dynasty. She had prepared lavish gifts for these delegates and their emperor who she wanted to establish friendly ties with.

The men were dressed in exquisite silk clothing, while Itami was dressed in a formal kimono of the same material. She had lowered her snow white hair, which gracefully washed over her porcelain skin like an avalanche. The delegates had become aware of Itami's rise to power, and initially held her with disdain. However, upon witnessing her stunning beauty, they were quick to change their tune as they curried favor with her, while maintaining the dignity of representatives from their realm. 

One man in particular was a bald, fat eunuch with a long mustache. His name was Jin Fang, and he gazed lustfully at the stunning Japanese woman in front of him, who served the man and his accomplice with Rice whiskey. Upon tasting the unique liquor, the man wore an excited smile as he complimented the woman for her ingenuity. 

"Such delectable alcohol. I am amazed that you managed to create such a thing."

Itami wore a stoic expression on her face. This ice queen facade acted as a means to retain her dignity, and show that she was not to be underestimated as a monarch. She responded to the man's compliment with a nod of the head and a grateful comment.

"I thank you for your kind words, esteemed emissary. It is my hope that you can enjoy your stay here in Heian-kyō to the fullest extent. I have requested your presence because there is something I must request from his majesty the Emperor. 

In the near future, I intend to march my armies into Joseon, and conquer the lands for myself. I know that the Ming Dynasty has interests in the region, and I assure you that under Japanese annexation, the Joseon dynasty will be far more fruitful in its production, and tribute to the Emperor. 

The reason I have summoned you to my home is to convey my intent for peace to exist between our two realms. I have no desire to step on the tail of the dragon. Nor do I wish to rob you of a client state without proper recompense."

This statement caught Jin Fang by surprise. He did not expect Itami to desire to expand into the Joseon territory. He did not quite understand the reason for doing so, but such a thing would be an insult to the authority of the Ming Dynasty. Thus, he glared fiercely at the woman, trying to comprehend what grand ambitions she might have. 

"You wish to conquer the Joseon? Do you even have the means to do so?"

For the first time since Itami had met with the Ming delegation she smiled, however it was not a smile that belonged to a charming young woman, rather that of a tyrannical despot. With such a wicked grin on her face, she laid out her plans for the Joseon with an overbearing tone.

"At the moment, such a venture would prove difficult. However, give me three years, and my armies will be unmatched in the region. At that point, conquering the Joseon will be a simple feat, not even worthy of notice. I assure you that it is due to my benevolence that I do not turn against you and instead have chosen to consult with you about my intentions before actually launching an attack."

Jin Fang was surprised to hear the woman speak these words, the way she made it sound. It was as if even the great Ming Dynasty was beneath her notice. Such words instantly filled the man with rage. This was an insult to the power of the Emperor. If some small island nation off the coast of the mainland could openly insult a delegation of the Ming, then surely more powerful nations would choose to do so. 

Itami's words had made clear the Ming that she intended to invade the Joseon regardless of their opinion. She was simply informing them beforehand as an act of common courtesy. After all, the Joseon were practically a client state of the Ming dynasty.

He was about to speak up against this insult to his authority when Itami snapped her fingers, and several armed soldiers entered the area carrying chests filled with gold, silver, cosmetics, alcohol, and other luxuries she had created over the years. 

This was a simple tribute to the Emperor the delegation would carry back to the Ming capital, or so was Itami's intent. The delegates gazed at the vast fortune with awe, as they did not expect Itami to be so wealthy. Itami wore a sinister smile on her face as she issued her terms.

"If the Emperor agrees to remain neutral in my annexation of Joseon, I will provide all that you see here as a monthly tribute every month for ten years. I assure you, it is more than you will get from the Joseon."

Jin Fang looked over at his counterpart and silently communicated with him via eye contact. The two of them universally agreed in that moment that they would relay Itami's message to the emperor with the utmost courtesy. What was being gifted to the Ming Dynasty was considerably more than they extracted in tribute from the Joseon. With a brief nod of their heads, Jin Fang cleared his throat before openly accepting Itami's proposal. 

"I will relay your words to the emperor, and do my best to convince him of the merit of such an arrangement."

Itami's smile lightened from sinister to pleased, as she nodded her head in agreement. After doing so, she motioned for the soldiers to leave, and in their place, a group of servants entered the room carrying the dishes that had been prepared for this encounter. All the food Itami had introduced from her past life was present on the plates, their aroma enticing the two men into salivating. With a pretty smile, Itami announced the feast had begun.

"Please, enjoy the food of my land, and feast on your heart's content. I assure you there is more than enough food to go around!"

After saying this, Itami bit into a takoyaki ball with an excited smile on her face before moaning in pleasure. The Ming delegates did not hesitate and quickly consumed the food on their plates with satisfied expressions. They would continue feasting and drinking long into the night, discussing trivial matters with the Japanese Empress. 

By the time Itami had sent her guests to her room, she was exhausted as she sat down in her personal quarters and sighed heavily before resting her head on her desk. She hated diplomatic visits more than anything. Socializing with people of a certain social standing was more exhausting in this life than it had been in her previous one. 

For whatever reason, in that moment, she thought about a conversation she had with Julian in her past life when she dragged him to an up scale social event. In her mind, she clearly envisioned the scene of Julian dressed in a tuxedo, hanging out at the snack table, and munching on food while ignoring the guests of the party. She approached him wearing a lavish dress and condemned him for his uncouth behavior.

"Julian, I didn't drag you to this party so that you could sit here and pig out. Come, I have some friends to introduce you to!"

Julian merely scoffed in response to this, before declining the offer. 

"No thanks, I lack the emotional energy to entertain strangers who I have nothing in common with. I barely have the means to deal with you on a daily basis, let alone with your friends."

Mizuno Ai immediately pouted as she saw that her friend was being stubborn, and quickly latched onto his wrist, forcing him away from the snack table and towards her high society friends. It was clear that a pleb like him felt out of place at such a wealthy party.

Ai could not believe the man was completely lacking in formal attire, especially at his age, and had spared some expense, making sure he was well groomed and presentable for the occasion. Still, she found his uncomfortable expression to be cute and forced him to mingle with some friends she had grown up with. 

After thinking about this, Itami began to chuckle. The words "I lack the emotional energy to deal with strangers who I have nothing in common with" could adequately express her current state. She always wondered how Julian could be so cold-blooded towards people he was not acquainted with, but she realized now how exhausting it could be to care about the whims and wishes of an entire world. She finally understood the man's thoughts as she muttered the words he had previously said to her in many of their most heated arguments.

"Only an idiot would expend their mental energy on something as stupid as caring about the lives of people they don't even know..."

Julian had said these words when Ai was vocally outraged by a specific case of alleged police brutality that had sparked riots across the country. At the time, she was furious with the man for his lack of empathy and his blatant disregard for human life. Now that she was a ruler in her own right, she was starting to understand this sentiment. 

After coming to power in this world, Itami had finally realized just how accurate this statement was. She was beginning to feel like there was someone more fit to be reincarnated into this world, and assume a position of power. Unfortunately, she knew it was improbable that Julian had ended up in a similar state as her, and could only dream to reunite with him once more.