Theater

"You don't have any power here, Avatar. You simply don't."

— Noehi to Yangchen during the latter's meeting with Bin-Er's shang merchants.

Template:Chapter infobox"Theater" is the ninth chapter of The Dawn of Yangchen.

Overview

Yangchen attends a meeting with the shangs of Bin-Er to address unrest in the city and propose reforms. Instead of cooperation, she encounters resistance and an outright dismissal of her authority by the shangs.

Synopsis

Avatar Yangchen heals Boma's injuries, blaming herself for the more relaxed security over having fired Gai, and proceeds with him to the gathering hall in Bin-Er, where she is scheduled to meet with the shangs. The complex, once designed for civic functions, is now primarily used for merchant assemblies. Upon entering, Sidao announces her arrival, and Yangchen notes the small turnout and the shangs' reluctance to rise in respect, a gesture that prompts Boma to angrily remind them of the Avatar's authority.

Zongdu Henshe, the youngest person to ever hold the position, greets Yangchen with courtesy, even asking about her lemurs, and begins an elaborate speech recounting the history of the shang system over tea. Henshe recounts how the shang system was born from the Platinum Affair, a political disaster that reshaped relations between the Four Nations. During a civil war in the Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation and Water Tribe leaders attempted to secretly aid the rebel General Nong by supplying him with platinum, while giving only paper notes to Earth King Feishan. Their plan was to undermine the King's credibility and tip the balance of the conflict. Instead, Feishan decisively defeated Nong at Llamapaca's Crossing and exposed the deception. In retaliation, he closed Earth Kingdom ports, expelled foreign diplomats, and used the seized platinum to plate the massive badgermole statue behind his throne, vowing relations would not normalize until the metal had tarnished. The Fire Nation and Water Tribes responded with their own isolationist policies, leaving much of the world cut off from international exchange. Yet despite political hostilities, demand for goods like Fire Nation peppers, Water Tribe lamp oil, and Earth Kingdom silks persisted. To manage this, the nations allowed a handful of designated cities, including Bin-Er, Taku, Jonduri and Port Tuugaq, to handle strictly regulated trade. These cities were placed under the control of powerful merchant families, collectively known as the shangs, and each city was overseen by an elected official called a zongdu, tasked with managing commerce and collecting revenues on behalf of all four nations.

Sidao adds to Henshe's account by likening the zongdus to Avatars, suggesting that their cyclical leadership and mediating roles mirror the Avatar's function. Yangchen and Boma recognize the comparison as a slight to undermine her authority. Yangchen restrains Boma and responds diplomatically, before turning the conversation to her true purpose. She addresses the shangs directly, arguing that Bin-Er's prosperity masks the suffering of its workers. Citing the previous night's riot, she accuses Master Teiin of exploiting laborers by canceling a construction project and refusing payment. Yangchen stresses that such abuses foster desperation and unrest, and she calls upon the shangs to treat their citizens with fairness, pay workers justly, and adopt policies that would reduce the need for charity. She also points out that refugees have begun fleeing to the Northern Air Temple for aid, placing strain on Abbot Sonam.

Despite her appeals, Yangchen's words fail to move her audience. Mistress Noehi challenges her directly, praising Yangchen's spiritual accomplishments but dismissing her authority in secular matters. She argues that Bin-Er is a city of reason and commerce, not superstition, and that the Avatar has no right to dictate policy.

Production notes

Series continuity

• Yangchen healed Boma's wound from "The Parade".
• The circumstances of the Platinum Affair and the emergence of the shang system are revealed in detail.

Character revelations

• Henshe is from the Middle Ring of Ba Sing Se.
• Henshe is the youngest zongdu in the history of the shang system.
• Yangchen is credited with quelling spiritual afflictions affecting the Saowon clan in the Fire Nation.
• Nong attempted to overthrow Earth King Feishan.
• Sonam is the abbot of the Northern Air Temple during Yangchen's early life.