Aventia was quiet. too quiet perhaps. Rumours from Aznavor merchants made their way into the street and rumours of the street made their way to the very doors of the Palace. Rumours of War in Edoniras. Supposedly some southern Kingdom had waged war on another and because of this all the nations of the world felt entitled to some opinion on the matter. Even the Empires' ally Anavor apparently felt invovled by the affairs of the two warring states. This was surprising but reassuring in a sense that it meant that Emperor Si Fu could count on his ally should enemies of the Empire of Khan ever seek to trample on Imperial soil. This was something the Emperor was very keen to avoid. Nevertheless should war come to the Empire his armies had long been readied, his men had seen the fire-weapons of the west and knew of their weaknesses. Thick oak and hide pavises had been built for weeks by thousands of carpenters to protect the Empire's crossbowmen from the impact of these weapons and thick leather cuirasses had been handed out to even the lowest of Empires' forces. Si Fu desired peace but was ready for war. 

It was on an inspection of his military might that the Emperor was reminded of the words of sage Xin To, a monk turned warrior turned general. Xin To had dwelt on the terrors of war and emphasized that the majority of suffering would be incurred by the invaded nation and that the best way to prevent the suffering of ones' own people was to take the first step. In short that a good offensive was the best way of defending ones subjects from a belligerent neighbor. And the Edonirans were belligerent, as the southern war demonstrated. In a turn that surprised almost all but his closest councillors. Emperor Si Fu announced after completing the inspection of his Imperial units that the generals had been summoned to the capital not only for the purposes of parading their units but for the the purpose of securing the Empires' borders. Early that night under the cover of darkness 50,000 men would march over the border into the Counciliate's lands. Five hundred mounted Samurai would first fan out and ride down all known sentries,border officials and patrols before 15,000 swordsmen,15,000 spearmen and 25,000 repeating crossbowmen would flood into enemy lands destroying farms, compounds and villages before moving to the cities whilst staying away from the coasts and well out of range of the enemy's powerful ships. Generals and lower commanders had each been allocated targets, particular farms or unwalled communities to take. No doubt some officers would meet resistance from some foolhardy settlers but they were poorly coordianted and undisciplined. Emperor Si Fu knew that overwhelming numbers combined with the element of surprise meant that by the dawn all targets would be overrun. Men were slaughtered as youths who had resisted but women,children and the elderly were unharmed. The Emperor had taken great pains to ensure not being seen as a barbaric neighbour. Non-combatants were treated with respect and taken to the nearest imperial cities of Kok Tai and Foo Mei and were well treated as prisoners. However, unless the Arbassi people proved to be cooperative Emperor Si Fu feared he must do what he must and kill his hostages. They had refused his divine mandate once perhaps the destruction of their outlying farmland and the fact that their elderly and their wives were in the hands of the Empire might make them reconsider the issue of fealty.

When the dawn broke and the men of Arbasses stood atop their mighty city walls they would look on their lands and despair. By the morning whole communities had been turned into pillars of smoke rising to the heavenly Emperor,harvests were taken from storehouses and added to army supplies, fields were sown with salt,fishing communities were looted and the souls of hundreds of Arbassian farmers and citizens had joined their ancestors in the sky. Only the mighty settler cities and the coastal regions where enemy ships were seen had been spared from the nights carnage. Within two weeks twin lines of trenches and small palisades would be built around these settlements well out of range of the enemy. Preparations for siege had been made and so it would be the turn of the settlers to have sleepless nights.