The dark alleyway was completely empty save for the two men who stood next to each other, the taller man keeping a watchful eye out for the rooftops as his companion read through a scroll. Boyong glanced sharply at Haoyang as he finished reading.

“Are you sure it’s true?” Boyong asked. Haoyang nodded. Boyong let out a sharp sigh, tossing the scroll into the hearth and letting it be consumed by the flames.

“I knew the Grand Duke’s secure position in court came from his role in Emperor Gaozong’s rise, but I didn’t expect this,” Boyong admitted. “It seems that the Zhao clan’s internal affairs are much more complicated than they appear.”

“Complicated? This is a complete mess! I knew the Grand Duke was adopted by his uncle, but the waters are far murkier than I expected. Are you really going to be alright getting involved with this?” Haoyang complained.

“Who said I intend to get involved?” Boyong said lightly.

“Do you not plan to tell Zhao Wenyuan?” Haoyang asked with a note of surprise in his voice. Boyong shook his head.

“He’ll either be furious or suspicious of how I found it out. Neither reaction is ideal. No, I’ll just give him enough to satiate his curiosity on the matter,” Boyong said. “As for his family tree, I suppose we can save that information for later. It certainly explains the Grand Duke’s attitude towards him, I was curious why that old man was so deadset on tormenting his own grandson.”

Haoyang nodded. “That may be for the best, sir. To be honest, their family affairs are way too complicated, to the point I don’t even know where to start from.”

“Don’t say that, Haoyang. We can still make use of this,” Boyong said. “Isn’t it interesting? Both the Grand Duke and his heir have similar circumstances, but they’re at each other’s throats to this extent. I certainly don’t mind though.”

Haoyang smiled at that. “Of course, sir.”

“Where there is misfortune, fortune also follows. These family secrets may just save Wenyuan’s life at some point,” Boyong muttered thoughtfully.

“Sir, I know you don’t want him harmed, but are you seriously going to help him afterward?” Haoyang asked dubiously.

“Why shouldn’t I? Better to have him owe me than I owe him. But it’s time we made our move. Send word to Ji Yantao and tell him to head towards the capital,” Boyong ordered.

“This early?” Haoyang asked in surprise. At Boyong’s stony stare, Haoyang quickly bowed his head. “As you wish, sir.”

---

Kayla winced a little as she stood next to Zhang Dingyong. She just had to get a crick in her neck the morning of the convening of the court, at the most inopportune time when she couldn’t roll her neck. Minister Liang had been notified of Kayla’s new post last night and had graciously accepted Kayla’s apologies when they’d met in the morning. Zhang Dingyong had offered his congratulations with a saccharine smile, which Kayla returned.

She gently patted at her robes, ensuring that the talismans and the Emperor’s golden plaque were there. It was slowly becoming a habit to reassure herself by doing so. For one, it wasn’t so strange for a man to pat his own chest in public, and second, the increasing number of items gave her some degree of confidence to face whatever happened next.

“Announcing the arrival of the Emperor and the Third Prince!”

Kayla knelt and lowered her head, following the usual routine of giving her greetings. She bit down on her surprise at Kuang’s appearance. As surprised as she had been that the Third Prince hadn’t arrived yet, the fact that he entered with the Emperor was just as unexpected. The only explanation was that Kuang had been discussing something with the Emperor in the Internal Palace prior to the court session, but the implications of his entrance were much more complex than that.

In previous generations, only the Crown Prince who also resided within the Imperial Palace would arrive together with the Emperor. Kuang’s arrival in this manner left the air extremely tense. Kayla glanced at Xianchun, who admirably kept his expression stoic. Kuang bowed slightly to the Emperor before stepping into his position at the front of the court, exchanging friendly nods with Xianchun.

The court proceeded normally, masking the tension among the officials. Other than Kuang’s return, everyone knew that the Ministry of Personnel had been busy, but few of them knew exactly what for. Kayla could barely keep her nervousness in check as she waited for the Emperor to announce his decree. After allowing the Three Departments to give their reports, the Emperor finally spoke up.

“My beloved subjects, I have an important decision to announce,” the Emperor said.

Ok, here we go. Oh boy.

Kayla breathed in deeply, trying to ease her nerves. The sound of officials sharply drawing in their breath echoed around her as everyone tried to act normal with varying degrees of success.

“After careful deliberation, it is my will that the Court of Judicial Review is reinstated as an institution to serve in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and the Imperial Investigator Bureau to uphold the laws of this dynasty,” the Emperor announced. A murmur rippled through the court, officials glancing at each other in shock. The Emperor nodded for the eunuch to announce the edict, glancing over the court to observe the reactions.

The eunuch stepped forward and unfurled a scroll.

“By decree of His Majesty, the Son of Heaven, aligning with the will of the Heavens and the wishes of the people, the Court of Judicial Review is to be reinstated as an institute of the Imperial Court, to protect the sanctity of the law and uphold the upright nature of the dynasty. Inheriting the foundations of his forefathers' ceaseless toil, His Majesty the Emperor has worked tirelessly to ensure the country's future, worrying without differentiation between day and night. Son of the late Imperial Princess and Zhao Kangyu, Left Secretariat of Justice Zhao Wenyuan, will henceforth be named the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and is ordered to serve his duty with vigilance and honor. Thus is decreed, to be executed immediately,” the eunuch read.

Ignoring the shocked murmurs from the court, Kayla stepped forward and knelt, bowing her head to the floor. “This subject humbly receives the decree and gives thanks for His Majesty’s boundless benevolence.”

“You may rise. I have high expectations for you and fully believe in your abilities. Zhao Wenyuan, I look forward to your accomplishments,” the Emperor said warmly. Kayla hastily bowed again.

“Thank you, Your Majesty, I will do my best to meet your expectations!”

The Emperor smiled and waved his hand, Kayla quickly stepping back into position.

None of the three princes looked surprised. Kayla quickly glanced at the Grand Duke. The Grand Duke clenched his jaw but didn’t make any objections. Kayla’s heart dropped as she took in his reaction. It was clear now that the Grand Duke’s hands were tied on this matter, but she still didn’t know exactly why. The only explanation was that it didn’t just threaten the current Emperor’s standing, but also his own.

Holy shit, he didn’t even mention your grandfather, and the Grand Duke’s just taking it. That really can’t mean anything good.

The court session ended soon after that. A few officials tried to object but quickly gave up upon realizing that the Grand Duke’s and the princes’ factions were holding their tongues. Still mulling over the implications of the Grand Duke’s complete silence, Kayla was startled by Minister Liang grabbing her shoulders.

“Congratulations, Minister Zhao,” Minister Liang said. Kayla blinked, shocked at the genuine sincerity he was showing.

Was I that bad of a secretariat that he’s so happy to get rid of me?

“Thank you, Minister Liang. I’m deeply grateful to you,” Kayla replied modestly. Minister Liang stepped aside to make way for the other officials who swarmed forward to offer congratulations and shoot questions at Kayla. She put on a polite smile, trying to bite back her annoyance as officials who had been mocking her only days before now came forward to give their congratulations.

The three princes left without saying anything, though Yunqi and Xianchun both gave her nods of approval from a distance. Once she was finally free of the well-wishers who prodded at the Emperor’s intentions none too subtly, Kayla made her way back to her carriage. She let out a sigh of relief as Boyong stepped into sight.

“Boyong, please tell me you have good news or at least some news,” Kayla said in a hushed voice as Boyong hastily approached her to fall in step. Boyong had failed to uncover much in the past few days, though not for lack of trying.

“Rest assured, my lord. I have news. I uncovered something important from a reliable source. The previous Court of Judicial Review was dismantled because of its involvement in a case regarding the then-Crown Prince,” Boyong whispered. Kayla glanced at him sharply.

“It’s just as I expected,” Kayla muttered darkly. “Any details?”

“Emperor Gaozong often drank with the Grand Duke after marrying his sister,” Boyong continued, still keeping his voice low. Kayla slowed down her steps as the carriage came into sight.

Just how much does the Grand Duke like to form ties through drinking? Kayla nodded for Boyong to go on.

“I heard that the Grand Duke's investigation turned up a bunch of evidence against the deposed Crown Prince, who was found guilty of colluding with the Court of Judicial Review to crush his political rivals and cover the crimes of his faction. He was Emperor Taizong’s favorite son, so it was ordered that the Court of Judicial Review would be dismantled and all evidence removed from the books, or the Crown Prince would’ve been publicly disgraced and could only face execution,” Boyong quickly continued.

“So he still wanted to save his son,” Kayla said thoughtfully.

“But the deposed prince killed himself after being demoted to a commoner, and Emperor Gaozong was named the successor,” Boyong said. “Even though he had several older brothers who had stronger maternal familial support. After his brother-in-law became the Crown Prince, the Grand Duke's position in court was greatly elevated.”

Kayla breathed in sharply. It was clear that the waters of the court were even deeper than she expected. But it wasn’t as though the Emperor expected to overturn the previous condemnation of the Court of Judicial Review, given how it had been introduced as though it were being reinstated for the first time within this dynasty. After all, it didn’t do the Emperor any good to dig up whatever the Grand Duke did, and the Grand Duke’s hands were tied as well, now the Grand Duke's connection to the Imperial family had drastically decreased from when his adopted sister was the Empress and was now only maintained through Wenyuan's bloodline.

Kayla gave Boyong a look of curiosity. Information like this couldn’t have been easy to come by, especially with the thoroughness by which Emperor Gaozong seemed to have wiped the records. Even Wenyuan’s own mother was hesitant to bring it up throughout Wenyuan’s childhood, but that evidently didn’t stop Boyong.

“Where did you learn all this?” Kayla asked.

“From someone who was friends with a guard in the Court of Judicial Review,” Boyong replied immediately. “Everyone from the Court of Judicial Review was exiled from the capital but he wasn’t directly related so he remained.”

Kayla nodded slowly. “Good work,” she said after a moment. “I’ll reward you later.”

“Thank you, my lord. I’m happy to be of service.”

“Keep looking though, I need more to work with than that,” Kayla ordered.

“My lord, may I recommend slowing the pace a little? People take notice when unusual questions appear too often,” Boyong suggested. Kayla hesitated for a moment before nodding. They approached the carriage, Kayla nodding her greetings to the guards.

“As you say. Good thinking,” she patted him on the arm. “If that’s the case, then pace it as you deem fit. Do you have the documents for me?”

“Here they are, my lord.” Boyong handed her two slim scrolls. “Are you sure about this my lord?”

“Yes, I need this,” Kayla replied simply. Her experience at the Ministry of Justice had taught her the importance of gaining the trust and support of her subordinates or at least enough control that they couldn’t openly work against her. She wasn't skilled in buying people's hearts or the like, but hopefully, a demonstration of her sincerity would be enough. Kayla tucked the scrolls into her robes, accepting Boyong’s hand as he helped her onto the carriage.

“To the Court of Judicial Review,” Boyong said to the horseman.

---

Caichun anxiously clenched her robes into her fists, still unused to the light blue-green official robes she now wore. She was certain that the young lord of the Zhao clan wasn’t a bad person, or her brother would have noticed right away. Chen Jian wasn’t the most politically astute and far from being a smooth talker, but he had unusually sharp instincts when it came to distinguishing a person’s character.

But now that she actually sat in the makeshift office that had been set up on the first floor of the new Court of Judicial Review, Caichun felt uncharacteristically nervous. She shot to her feet as someone else entered, faltering slightly to see a middle-aged man in the light-red robes of a fifth-rank official.

“Greetings, sir.” Caichun politely bowed in the presence of the higher-ranking official. The middle-aged man waved his hand.

“No need for formalities,” he said. The man had an unassuming appearance, with average looks, average height, and average weight. The only thing that stood out to him was the relaxed air he gave off, which reminded Caichun of the Taoist priests and nuns she’d seen before. He didn’t seem at all surprised to see a young woman in official robes and took in the room with mild curiosity.

“What is your name, young colleague?” The man asked.

“My name is Chen Caichun, sir. I’m a Ministerial Case Reviewer.”

“Well met, my name is Sun Ruhui, I’m to be a Chamberlain,” he explained. Caichun bowed her head slightly, recognizing the man from Li Que’s words.

“I look forward to your guidance,” Caichun said politely.

“No, not at all. If anything, it’ll be I who needs your guidance,” Ruhui replied. “I was a county magistrate in Hunan until a few days ago, I’m afraid I’ll need the help of someone much more familiar with the capital city.”

“I’m happy to be of service,” Caichun replied.

Their small talk was cut short as a man dressed in the uniform of the city guard opened the door to the office, stepping aside and bowing slightly. A young man in purple official robes stepped through, nodding his thanks to the guard.

“I humbly greet the Minister,” Caichun and Ruhui said in unison, bowing slightly. She had never seen Zhao Wenyuan before, but there were only so many officials under forty who made it above the third rank, and most of them weren’t stationed in the capital.

“At ease,” Wenyuan said. He approached them with a small smile. Caichun discreetly glanced the young man over as he came closer, careful not to get caught staring. Zhao Wenyuan was handsome, not to the extent that the Princes were, but the blood of the late Imperial Princess renowned for her beauty evidently ran strong.

“You two must be Chamberlain Sun and Reviewer Chen,” Wenyuan said in a surprisingly polite tone. “Thank you for coming here today even though you’re not on duty.”

“It’s our pleasure, Minister.” Sun Ruhui and Caichun spoke almost in unison again. Wenyuan gestured for them to sit down, settling into a chair himself.

“I would like to thank the two of you for accepting my invitation to join the core staff. I would have liked to invite the two of you to dinner instead of meeting in the office, but I have some things I wish to speak of in private, and I don’t want any unsavory rumors to spread about the two of you,” Wenyuan said, Caichun and Ruhui hastily bowing their heads in response. It was evidently out of consideration for Caichun, who would be the most at risk for malicious rumors if she was seen to dine privately with two men unrelated to her by blood, and Caichun felt a small rush of gratitude at Wenyuan’s thoughtfulness.

“As the two of you may know, His Majesty the Emperor has decided to reinstate the Court of Judicial Review at a very important moment. The court is in need of cleansing, and despite my lackings, I have been assigned to the position of Minister in order to assist in this process,” Wenyuan said.

Caichun noted with an ounce of curiosity the care that Wenyuan took to show his humbleness. Even if it were someone much older, it wouldn’t be surprising to feel at least some measure of pride after being promoted to such an important position at a crucial time, but Wenyuan seemed cautious to the degree of paranoia.

“I requested to add the two of you to the core staff because I am in need of talented individuals who can assist me wholeheartedly without being swayed or intimidated,” Wenyuan said. Caichun and Ruhui quickly murmured their thanks.

“Chamberlain Sun, the journey must have been quite rushed, I apologize for the short notice,” Wenyuan turned his attention to Sun Ruhui, who bowed his head slightly.

“Not at all, Minister. I’m grateful for the care you’ve shown,” Sun Ruhui replied.

“Thank the Empress Dowager, she arranged for your journey,” Wenyuan said. He turned his attention to Caichun next. “Reviewer Chen, how is your brother doing?”

“Excellent, sir. Thank you for your concern,” Caichun replied. Wenyuan nodded with satisfaction.

“Now, as much as I would like to chat more with the two of you, we’re running on a tight timeline,” Wenyuan continued. “Before everything starts picking up pace, I wanted to make sure I took care of this.” He pulled out two scrolls from his robes, handing one to each of them. Caichun took hers with both hands, only opening it after Wenyuan waved for her to do so.

She furled her brows in confusion, reading the document over three times and still finding herself in disbelief.

“Minister, may I ask what this is?” Ruhui asked with a slight note of surprise in his voice.

“It is exactly what it appears to be. Each of you has a notarized guarantee that no matter the issue, you may report directly to me, and that you will not be punished for your words regardless of what you say. If I go against the guarantee issued in my name, you may publicize this document and denounce me for breach of contract. You will also be entitled to a compensation fee of 200 silver,” Wenyuan said calmly.

Caichun and Ruhui discreetly glanced at each other with thinly veiled looks of shock. Their fates were already tied to Zhao Wenyuan when the Emperor agreed to give them their posts, it wasn’t as though they could ever betray him without incurring the wrath of the Emperor. It wouldn’t have been surprising if they had been made to sign a one-sided contract, but why on earth would Wenyuan issue one that worked against his favor? It wasn't necessary for a man in his position to buy the hearts of his own recruits. Wenyuan glanced at their confused expressions before sighing softly.

“I'll be frank with you both. I am in sore need of assistance and I searched for talented officials with the urgency of a parched man seeking water. But it is useless unless the talents I recruit feel safe enough to speak honestly,” Wenyuan admitted in a heavy tone. “The two of you surely know that this will be no easier than moving mountains and flipping the sea, and I respect you for stepping up to the task regardless. If I would have your support in this endeavor, I’m sure much more can be accomplished. That is why I drew up these documents to prove my sincerity.”

Caichun quickly glanced at the document and hesitated, before rolling it back up and tucking it into her robes. If Zhao Wenyuan was willing to go this far, two things were clear. The first was that he was isolated from his fellow officials to the degree of being desperate, and the second was that Caichun could trust him not to abandon her to the wolves should things take a turn for the worse. Of course, her own future also relied on Wenuan's success.

“You have my full support, Minister. I will treasure this guarantee,” Caichun replied determinedly.

“As will I,” Sun Ruhui replied. “I will do my utmost to support you, Minister Zhao.”

“Thank you,” Wenyuan replied with evident relief. “I’ll be relying on you both.”

---

Cultural Notes

一滩浑水/A puddle of murky water: A Chinese proverb used to refer to a situation as messy in a derogatory fashion.

祸兮福之所倚/Misfortune, on which fortune attaches: A proverb originating from the works of the founder of Taoism, Lao Zi. It means that misfortune may also bring fortune, and vice versa.

Eastern Palace/东宫: The Eastern Palace is the residence of the Crown Prince, who is also sometimes referred to as "Master of the Eastern Palace". Almost all princes are required to move out of the Imperial Palace after coming of age, except for the Crown Prince who lives in the Eastern Palace, and thus would be in much closer contact with (and surveillance/supervision of) the Emperor. Kuang appearing at the court session (which remember, is held in the early morning) with the Emperor is similar to how a Crown Prince would appear due to residing in the Imperial Palace.

Imperial Decree: The decree appearing in this chapter draws inspiration from decrees in the Han, Wei, Tang, and Ming dynasties, but doesn't actually adhere to the format followed in the Tang Dynasty. It was largely inspired by the edict "肃宗命皇太子监国制/Edict of the Emperor Suzong ordering the Crown Prince to Take Charge of Political Affairs". For large decisions, decrees often provided some form of justification.

应天顺时，受兹明命/Aligning with the will of the Heavens and the wishes of the people: Not a direct translation, but this line was often used in decrees from the Han and Wei dynasties as part of the justification for an Emperor's decree.

Exclusion of the Grand Duke: While Wenyuan's father is sure to be included as the husband of the Imperial Princess, his grandfather is also related to the Imperial Family and a noble/high-ranking official in his own right, so it's a bit of an affront that the decree doesn't even mention the Grand Duke after taking the trouble to mention Wenyuan's family.

收买人心/Buying people's hearts: A Chinese proverb meaning to try to gain the loyalty/support of people through actions/material benefit.

Robe color: For officials, lower-ranked officials of the 8th and 9th ranks wore light blue-green robes, while officials of the 6th and 7th ranks wore green robes. Officials of the 4th and 5th ranks wore red robes, and officials above the 3rd rank wore varying shades of purple.

Reporting to superiors: Due to limited communication technology and strongly hierarchical structures, it was often difficult in most dynasties for lower-ranking officials to reach the officials at the top. Usually, a Ministerial Case Reviewer like Caichun wouldn't even have access to directly report to Wenyuan unless she was summoned first, so Kayla's giving them a direct access pass.

求贤若渴/Searching for talents as though thirsty: A Chinese proverb used to refer to searching for talented/wise individuals and seeking to recruit them with the desperate urgency of a thirsty man searching for water.

排山倒海/Moving mountains and flipping oceans: A Chinese proverb used to refer to extremely difficult, near-impossible tasks.

If you're interested, please check out my Patreon here, thanks for reading!