Until the day Bayushi Shoju--the Scorpion Champion--discovered an ancient prophecy that told of the demise of not only the Hantei Dynasty, but of Rokugan itself. Shoju was forced to make a decision: allow the prophesy to unfold or destroy the source of Rokugan's destruction.
In Shoju's mind, there was no alternative. He would destroy the Hantei Dynasty, thus thwarting the prophecy.
But before he could assume his mad undertaking, he would need to make preparations. The Clans would unite against him if he tried to take the Imperial capital. He would need a diversion that would allow him to take the capital.
And he would need to take care of the Emperor's greatest general,
Akodo Toturi...
As far as Shoju was concerned, the only threat to his success was the Lion Champion, Akodo Toturi. The Lion's honor was unquestioned in Rokugan, but the Scorpion can find the flaw in any man's armor. For Toturi, it was his love for a young geisha. A geisha trained by Shoju's own wife, Kachiko.
On a night filled with wind and rain, Hatsuko slipped a single drop of poison in the Lion Champion's drink, thus removing Toturi from Shoju's reckoning. Once Toturi was finished, all Shoju would have to deal with would be the armies of the Crane.
"The armies of the Crane..." Shoju nearly laughed as he whispered the words.
With Toturi missing, leadership of the Lion would transfer over to the Matsu family, led by the young and inexperienced Matsu Tsuko. Shoju relied on the vanity of the young Matsu, knowing that she would not accept aid from the Akodo family, or from the rest of the Empire, for that matter. And while the Matsus fought with the other Clans for the right to attack the Scorpion, Shoju would fortify his position and await the decision of Rokugan's Great Bear...
Having them as neighbors for one thousand years taught Shoju a thing or two about Crabs, and if all other contingencies failed, he knew he could count on their respect of strength. When Hida Kisada saw how Shoju took the capital, he would recognize his position of power and aid his attempt to hold ancient Otosan Uchi. Then, the other Clans would be forced to accept his claim. At the least, he would have time to defend his actions.
Of course, trusting the Crab would only be his first mistake...