Conspiracy of Ba Sing Se

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- What’s most important to his royal majesty is maintaining the cultural heritage of Ba Sing Se. All his duties relate to issuing decrees on such matters. It’s my job to oversee the rest of the city’s resources, including the military

The Conspiracy of Ba Sing Se was a conspiracy by Long Feng and the Dai Li to control Ba Sing Se by appropriating control from the Earth King, Kuei. Long Feng and the Dai Li covered up the concurrent war, and gained control of Ba Sing Se. The Conspiracy was eventually exposed by the Avatar, Aang, and Long Feng was imprisoned. The Conspiracy directly caused the Coup of Ba Sing Se when Long Feng attempted to regain control of Ba Sing Se by negotiating with Princess Azula.

History
Historically, the Earth Kings ruled Ba Sing Se and the rest of the Earth Kingdom directly. However, over time a bureaucratic administration was created around the Earth King to help run the Kingdom. One position, the Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se, was created as an advisor to the Earth King about matters in Ba Sing Se.

The creation of the bureaucracy had the unintended effect of weakening the grip on power Earth Kings had. Thus, the opportunity for such a conspiracy became a possibility. This possibility became a reality when the 51st Earth King died with only a four year old child to succeed him.

Establishment
After the death of the 51st Earth King, the Grand Secretariat, Long Feng, used his powers and advantageous position to mold four-year-old King Kuei into his puppet. This would give him the power to control the city of Ba Sing Se. He accomplished this with the aid of the corrupt Dai Li.

Long Feng and his Dai Li agents silenced their opponents and forbade free speech. The Council of Five were unable to resist against the Conspiracy, and followed Long Feng's orders. Long Feng and the Dai Li also forbade citizens from talking about The War inside the walls, under pain of imprisonment or brainwashing. This ensured that the city would not erupt into chaos.

With control of the city, Long Feng had complete control over the Earth King and effectively ruled Ba Sing Se and the rest of the Earth Kingdom in the name of the Earth King. This state of events continued for many years.

The Arrival of the Avatar
In 100 ASC, late into the conspiracy, Aang, the current Avatar, and his friends decided to go to the city to find their lost bison, Appa, and to inform the King of an opportunity to invade the Fire Nation on the Day of Black Sun. After the group defeated a drill in a battle, they ventured into the city as honored guests. Team Avatar however immediately became suspicious due to the behavior of Joo Dee and many of the citizens of Ba Sing Se.

The arrival of the Avatar was a major threat to Long Feng's hold over the city. Knowing of the bison's importance to the Team, Long Feng used a Bison Whistle to attract the beast to the city. Once at the right position, he captured Appa and hid him at the Dai Li's base under Lake Laogai. This would serve as blackmail to prevent the Avatar from exposing his conspiracy.



Team Avatar soon became frustrated at the lack of urgency displayed by the city to their plans for the Invasion of the Fire Nation. Team Avatar attempted to use an up-incoming party for Bosco that the Earth King would be at to attempt to talk to him. The team decided the best way to do this was for the girls, Katara and Toph Bei Fong, to disguise themselves as fancy ladies to enter inconspicuously. The boys, Sokka and Aang, would stay and wait.



At the party, the guard would not let the girls enter, but with Long Feng, they were allowed to enter. Katara and Toph however were unable to lose Long Feng. At the house Team Avatar were staying at, Sokka and Aang began to get worried, so they disguised themselves as waiters and sneaked into the party. They eventually stumbled upon the girls.

Aang accidentally reveals himself as the Avatar, and woos the crowd with his bending tricks. Then, the King arrives in a palanquin, and Aang rushes to see him. Aang is stopped by Long Feng, who greets him as the rest of Team Avatar is captured by Dai Li. In Long Feng's office, Long Feng informs them of the conspiracy, and also blackmails them.

Capture of Jet
At the same time, the leader of the Freedom Fighters, Jet had entered the city. Before, on a Ferry trip there, he had met a disguised Prince Zuko, and "liberated" some food with him. After disembarking from the ferry, he saw Iroh with warm tea that was previously very cold, and marked them as Firebenders.

Jet spied on the two with his fellow fighters, Smellerbee and Longshot. Smellerbee and Longshot questioned his latest decisions, and left him. Jet, after attempting discretely to force Iroh into Firebending, became tired of waiting, and resolved to face them personally and expose them.

Duel in the Tea Shop


Storming into a local tea shop the two were working at, Jet exclaimed that the two were Fire Nation. Iroh attempted to convince him they were just tea workers, but Jet did not believe it. Zuko, defensively, grabbed a pair of Dao Swords from a nearby customer, and began dueling with Jet.

The two fought around the tea shop, Zuko eventually slicing at Jet, who jumped into the air to dodge it. The two eventually moved outside, and as more people chattered and watched, the duel was stopped by Dai Li, who arrested Jet. Iroh stated that he was merely confused, but the Dai Li, not interested, took him in anyway.

Tying him up under Lake Laogai, a Dai Li agent began to brainwash him, telling him "There is no war within the walls...". Jet attempted to resist, but the brainwashing proved to be successful.

Team Avatar and Jet Meet
Team Avatar continued to stay in the city. A month after entering Ba Sing Se, Team Avatar hung up fliers for Appa, ignoring instructions to do otherwise. They encountered Jet, who had been living quietly in the city since his brainwashing. Distrustful of him at first, Jet eventually gains enough trust from them to let him attempt to help find Appa, who he said he heard people say where he is.

Meanwhile, Long Feng, angry at Joo Dee for failing again at keeping Team Avatar quiet, uses a brainwashing code for her to go to Lake Laogai for punishment.

Team Avatar and Jet look for Appa at the place Jet heard of, and he is not there. Leaving (being told to go to Whale Tail Island), they stumble into Smellerbee and Longshot, who have been looking for Jet everywhere. They bring up the duel and Jet's arrest, and Jet does not remember. After much tests, they realize that Jet has been brainwashed, and attempt to get him to remember.

After succeeding, Jet remembers that he was brainwashed under Lake Laogai, and they all venture there. Going into it, they discover some of the Dai Li's activities, eventually running into a chamber where Long Feng is with dozens of Dai Li agents.

Battle in the Chamber


The Dai Li attack the group, but they fight them off. After some fighting, Jet and Aang decide to chase Long Feng, who uses a brainwashing code to turn Jet against Aang. He fights him, and as they do so, Aang tries to convince Jet to fight it. After succeeding by telling him he's a Freedom Fighter, Jet attacks Long Feng, who strikes Jet with an Earth pillar, mortally wounding him.

Long Feng then disappears, and the others gather around Jet. Katara attempts to heal him, and realizes that he has severe internal injuries. His Freedom Fighters tell the Aang and his friends to go, saying that he will be okay. As they leave, Toph says, "He's lying." Jet dies of his wounds.

Zuko Frees Appa
Meanwhile, Zuko, wearing his Blue Spirit outfit, went to the base as well, but to attempt to steal Appa. Before he could finish, his uncle came in, stating "I wondered who could be under that mask?"

Zuko removes his mask, and Iroh explains that he needs to start shaping his own destiny, and choose his own path. After much decision, Zuko gives in and frees Appa.

Reunion and New Hope
Team Avatar were interrupted by Dai Li agents as they attempted to leave Lake Laogai. After holding them off for a while, the Dai Li were surprised by the newly freed Appa. Appa single-handedly defeated the Dai Li, even biting Long Feng's leg to throw him into the Lake. The group reunited with Appa.

With Appa reunited with Team Avatar, Sokka suggested that, being on a "roll," they should go ahead and storm into the palace to see the king. After some discussion, the group agreed.

Assault on the Royal Palace
The team flew to the palace, but were met with opposition from the Royal Earthbender Guards. The Guards were quickly defeated, being unable to defend against the combined bending power of Aang, Katara, Toph and Appa. Storming through the palace, Sokka eventually discovered the "fancy door" that led to the Throne Room.

Breaking into the Throne Room, Aang and his friends were met by Dai Li agents and Long Feng. The King, beside Long Feng, expressed his outrage at the intrusion. The Dai Li locked their hands with Rock Gloves.

The King did however give Team Avatar a chance to speak. Aang attempted to prove to the King that the Conspiracy and War were real and that Long Feng was evil. Long Feng attempted to convince Kuei otherwise, and nearly succeeded, but made a major error of judgement when he mentioned that he did not known Sky Bison still existed. This was immeditaely disproven. With this in mind, King decided to let Aang and his friends show him evidence.

Long Feng Arrested


The first attempt Team Avatar used to convince the King was to have him see the Dai Li base at Lake Laogai. Before they could do this, however, Dai Li had destroyed the entrance, leaving only rubble there. The King almost left, but Team Avatar realized there was another piece of evidence.

Team Avatar led the Earth King to the Wall. The Drill from the battle a month ago was still there, convincing the Earth King that the Conspiracy and the War were real. Long Feng attempted to tell the King that it was a construction project, and the insignia was there because it was imported. The King did not believe this, and Long Feng was arrested for crimes against the Earth Kingdom, thus ending the Conspiracy, true power having been restored to the Earth King.

Aftermath

 * Main Article: Coup of Ba Sing Se

Immediately after the Conspiracy ended, Princess Azula, along with her friends, Mai and Ty Lee infiltrated the Ba Sing Se, took control of the Dai Li, and orchestrated a coup of the 52nd Earth King. This coup brought Ba Sing Se and the Earth Kingdom under Fire Nation control. This event also caused Azula's brother, Prince Zuko to join her coup and return to the Fire Nation. The Avatar was almost killed.

The only known casualty of the Conspiracy was Jet. Jet left his mark on Team Avatar. A few months later, Katara was compared to Jet by Aang when she was determined to find her mother's killer and possibly end his life.

Appearances and References

 * City of Walls and Secrets
 * Appa's Lost Days (Briefly)
 * Lake Laogai
 * The Earth King (Fist Identified as a Conspiracy)