!!!Important notice!!!

I uploaded an extra scene from the Imperial Investigator's Bureau to my Patreon as a public post, so both patrons and non-patrons can read it. I've decided to start posting extra scenes that I had to cut from the main narrative or are too slice-of-life/comedic for the main story but are still dear to my heart at my Patreon, where most of them will be publicly available. Patrons will have early access to the scenes. (I haven't figured out the logistics yet, we're getting there though).

---

Ji Fangluo strode forward purposefully, her jaws clenched tightly together. It had been days since her father Ji Yantao should’ve arrived in the capital, but still there was no word from him. Just what did that accursed brat Qu Boyong think he was doing, calling an old man to such a dangerous place?

Once she got to the capital, Fangluo immediately sensed that something was wrong. There were whispers about a plot in the court that had nearly knocked the Emperor’s nephew from his newly appointed perch, and rumors were flying about a huge storm about to come in the capital.

Fangluo shook her head morosely. Her poor father must’ve been overwhelmed. Ji Yantao was terrible at dealing with this kind of thing, and the whispers about the court must’ve frightened him so badly that he forgot to contact her.

More likely than not, Ji Yantao’s anxiety had caused him to fall ill, which was why Fangluo was going to every doctor she could find.

“Miss, stop right there,” a voice called out. Fangluo didn’t take note, given how many people there were.

“Miss, hold on! Miss, I’m talking to you!” Fangluo finally turned around as the voice got closer. She frowned as a man in a guard’s uniform approached her.

“What is it, sir?” Fangluo asked suspiciously.

The guard wore a disapproving scowl as he looked her over, his eyes settling on her belt.

“What do you have there?” The guard asked. Fangluo glanced at her belt, patting the red cloth charm hanging from it.

“It’s a charm for a safe pregnancy, I got it from a temple,” Fangluo explained, confused as to what the matter was.

“No, not the charm. That,” the guard pointed at the huge machete strapped to her belt. Fangluo glanced at it, suddenly realizing she might be in trouble.

“Oh, that’s for my husband, he’s a butcher. I’m meant to bring it to him,” Fangluo said, keeping her tone casual. Her heartbeat quickened and her palms grew clammy. She had been in such a rush that she hadn’t bothered stopping to conceal her weapon, not that she could’ve concealed such a large machete. Fangluo could only pray that she wasn’t about to get arrested. It would take days to notify her husband, and she still didn’t know where her father was.

“What does a butcher need such a big blade for?” The guard asked suspiciously.

“He has big hands,” Fangluo replied. The guard’s look of suspicion didn’t fade in the slightest.

“You’re strapping it to your waist when you’re already heavy with child?” The guard demanded. “That’s terrible for your health! What’ll you do if you hurt your back in the middle of the street?”

Fangluo blinked in surprise, forcing out a sheepish chuckle. “Oh, I’m just so used to it, it’s a habit.”

“Habit? My wife hurt her back this way in her last pregnancy, and the child nearly didn't make it. It's not worth it for only something only a little bit more convenient. Strap it to your back instead, that’ll distribute the weight more evenly,” the guard instructed. “You’ll be less likely to get hurt.”

“Of course, thank you,” Fangluo said, hastily complying.

“And tell your husband not to make you run deliveries for heavy items while you’re pregnant,” the guard lectured her. “He should get them himself, rather than risk both wife and child.”

“You’re right, I’ll pass the word on,” Fangluo replied.

“Alright then, you can go now,” the guard said. Fangluo quickly gave her thanks before continuing on, pushing the encounter to the back of her mind. She made her way to the next doctor on her list. Fangluo was growing a little desperate. She had gone to over a dozen places already, but there was still no sign of Ji Yantao. The city was so big and there were so many people, how on earth was she going to find a plain-looking man in his fifties among them?

Fangluo entered the doctor’s place, praying that this would be the one.

“Excuse me,” she called out. An elderly doctor came out from the inner rooms, peering at her from beneath his bushy eyebrows.

“Hello there. How can I help you?” He asked. Fangluo gave him a smile.

“Hello doctor, I’m looking for my father. His name is Ji Yantao, a man in his fifties, kind of plain. I was hoping to ask if he had come here for treatment?” Fangluo asked.

“Oh, you must be that pregnant daughter of his, he mentioned you,” the doctor remarked. “Yes, he’s right here.”

Fangluo grew teary-eyed with relief. “Thank the heavens! Doctor, I’ve been looking everywhere!”

“It couldn’t have been easy, navigating the city alone,” the doctor replied. “He’s lucky to have such a filial daughter. Come on, follow me.”

The doctor led her into an inner room, where a familiar man was lying on a bed, looking listless and pale.

“Father!” Fangluo closed the distance between them, squeezing Ji Yantao into a hug.

“You’re crushing his ribs,” the doctor remarked mildly. Fangluo quickly loosened her grip, and Ji Yantao took a wheezing breath before looking up at his daughter in amazement.

“What-Fangluo? How are you here?” Ji Yantao asked.

“I came to find you, father. You should’ve gotten here days ago, but you never contacted me! I was so worried!” Fangluo said. She looked him over, shaking her head with pity. “My poor father, look at the state of you. Doctor, what’s wrong with him?”

“Don’t worry, child. He’s alright. Some kindhearted folks brought him in when he collapsed near the city gates, but there aren’t any major issues. It’s just a case of fright and worry culminating into sickness, he’ll be fine once he gets some rest,” the doctor told her.

Ji Yantao lowered his head in shame. “I’m sorry, Fangluo. Your father’s such a useless man, I couldn’t even do this properly.”

“Don’t say that,” Fangluo said forcefully. “Father, as long as you’re alright, nothing else matters. In any case, you have nothing more to worry about. I’m here now.”

“You have a good daughter,” the doctor chimed in. “Listen to her and focus on recovering, you’ll collapse again at this rate. Young lady, try to talk some sense into your father.”

“I will, doctor. Thank you so much,” Fangluo said.

“Then I’ll leave you to it,” the doctor patted her arm before leaving the room.

“Father, let’s go home,” Fangluo urged him. “Look at the toll it’s taken on you just to come to this city, why stay in such a dangerous place?”

Ji Yantao shook his head, eyes filling with tears that fell in large droplets into his lap.

“Are you worried about Qu Boyong? Push the thought from your mind. I’ll take care of things from here on,” Fangluo said firmly. “As your daughter, I’ll handle everything in your place. Surely he can’t complain about that.”

“You can’t! The capital’s waters are so deep, it drags people in and drowns them pitilessly. How many people do you think have died of unnatural causes in this city? Even the Emperor’s nephew’s mired in trouble, how can people like us survive?” Ji Yantao sniffled as tears streamed down his face. “I’m sorry, Fangluo. If only you weren’t born to such a father-”

“The Emperor’s nephew’s fine, they’ve uncovered the plot and worked everything out. Things here aren’t as bad as they seem,” Fangluo cut him off. “Unlike you, I don’t have any memories associated with this place, bad or good. I can handle whatever this city and its occupants throw at me because I don’t care about this place at all. Father, trust in me. Leave everything in my hands and everything will be alright.”

“But you’re pregnant,” Ji Yantao said in a choked voice. “And-and your children at home…”

“My husband can do the goddamn household chores himself! I’d like to see if he dares complain about this,” Fangluo snapped. “And so what if I’m pregnant? I could wield a machete even when I was eight months pregnant, much less now! It’s settled! Father, if you’re really worried, then stay here, but only focus on resting. I’m taking charge of matters from now on.”

“Fangluo, you’re more reliable than ten sons,” Yantao said. He wiped his face, having calmed down a little.

“Of course I am,” Fangluo declared. “In ancient times, there was Hua Mulan going to the army for her father. In these times, there’s Ji Fangluo! Don’t worry and rest, I’ll go and meet that Qu Boyong for you.”

Ji Yantao glanced at the giant machete on his daughter’s back and gave a smile of relief.

“Alright then, if you say so.”

---

Hu Qing headed back to the Liang household, lightly springing across the rooftops. He carefully stuck to the blindspots of the larger, sturdier trees, since he couldn’t be certain which ones had Imperial Investigators in them. He stopped short on the top of a building, squinting at the strange sight beneath him.

A pregnant woman was marching forward with the determination of someone out for blood, a large machete strapped to her back. Hu Qing shook his head, grinning in amusement before continuing on.

Hu Qing entered the Liang household, not bothering to be inconspicuous as he quickly headed back to his quarters while avoiding any of his cousins or nephews. Other than Minister Liang, none of his other family members knew how to address him and always awkwardly avoided eye contact in their interactions. At least Minister Liang was a decent uncle, certainly better than the Grand Duke was as a grandfather.

There was a knock on the door right as Hu Qing finished washing his face. Still dripping with water, he answered the door with a frown. A servant bowed slightly.

“Excuse me, sir. Minister Liang asked to speak with you in his study,” the servant said.

“Got it, I’ll be right there,” Hu Qing said. He wiped off his face before sauntering to Minister Liang’s study.

“Uncle, it’s me, can I come in?” Hu Qing called loudly.

The door flew open and Minister Liang pulled him in before hastily closing the door again. Minister Liang whirled to glare at him.

“Hu Qing! Where on earth have you been?” Minister Liang snapped angrily.

Hu Qing smiled sheepishly. It wasn’t as though he could say that he’d gotten roped into a commissioned job by Zhao Wenyuan while flirting with Qu Boyong, so he shrugged.

“Take a guess,” Hu Qing said sweetly. Minister Liang pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a harsh sigh.

“Do you even know what’s happened over the last few days? The whole capital’s been a mess with the Zhao Wenyuan case, the prince’s aide kept asking me to look into it and I couldn’t even catch sight of your shadow!” Minister Liang groaned.

“Sorry, uncle,” Hu Qing said apologetically. “But it all worked out, didn’t it? That means they don’t really need our help.”

“Work out? For Zhao Wenyuan, certainly. If it hadn’t worked out, how on earth should I have taken responsibility?” Minister Liang demanded. “Just what have you been doing?”

Hu Qing shrugged. He felt bad, but client confidentiality demanded his silence on the matter.

“Out with a lover again? Really, you have no shame,” Minister Liang grumbled. Hu Qing stiffened, annoyance rising in his chest.

“Seriously, uncle. It’s not like I’m sleeping around every time I’m out of your sight,” Hu Qing snapped.

“Whatever, I don’t want to hear it. I don’t expect much from you anyway,” Minister Liang said. Hu Qing gritted his teeth, his annoyance growing stronger.

“In any case, there’s still a lot of questions left unanswered. Remain on standby, I’ll be calling on you if there’s a need,” Minister Liang ordered.

Before Hu Qing could open his mouth to reply, there was an urgent knock at the door.

“Sir, the Seventh Prince is here!”

“What?! Right now?” Minister Liang said in shock, flinging the door open.

“Yes, sir. He’s already heading this way, he’ll be here any second now,” the serving girl replied.

“Good heavens! What is he doing here at this time of the night? Go, hurry up and prepare to receive our guests,” Minister Liang ordered. The serving girl bowed and scuttled off.

“Uncle, calm down,” Hu Qing said, grabbing Minister Liang’s arm.

“Something important must’ve happened! Otherwise, there wouldn’t be a reason for the prince to come in person without any warning,” Minister Liang said in a low voice. There was the sound of footsteps approaching, and the servants quickly lined up to stand by the wall, their heads already half-lowered in preparation.

“What are you doing? Hurry and go over there!” Minister Liang hissed, pushing Hu Qing towards where the servants stood. Hu Qing stared at his uncle in outraged silence for a brief second before complying mechanically. An unfamiliar emotion boiled in his chest. It wasn’t the first time he’d experienced such a thing, but it was the first time it bothered him so much.

The prince and one of his retainers rounded the corner, and Hu Qing followed the rest of the servants in kneeling to greet them. Minister Liang bowed, exchanging greetings with the prince before leading the guests into the study. Neither Minister Liang nor the prince glanced at Hu Qing and the servants, but the prince’s retainer, a good-looking young man, turned and gave him a piercing stare before following them into the room.

As the guests left the corridor, the servants let out a collective sigh of relief. Hu Qing stared at the closed door before him for a long moment, only moving aside when the serving girls arrived to serve tea and snacks.

He glanced over his shoulder again at the door before leaving.

---

Kayla rubbed at her chin, feeling worn out after getting back from the palace. She had gone to see the Emperor, who felt terrible about the whole situation. And then she’d gone to see the Empress Dowager, who also felt terrible about the whole situation. Overall, their intentions were that the resolution of the case would be an excellent chance to reaffirm their support and for Kayla to cement the foundations of the neutral faction. It had been tiring, but Kayla was glad that she hadn’t had to tell them about Liu Hongyu. They genuinely cared about Wenyuan, and the news would’ve been a huge blow.

After visiting the Palace, she still needed to send thank you gifts to each of the princes, and also take care of Zhu Ling’er’s dowry, Caichun and Sun Ruhui’s bonuses, giving Chujiao her thanks as well as a huge bonus without incurring suspicion, and so on so forth. The list went on endlessly, and while Boyong could take care of some of them for her, Kayla almost felt as though entering the political marriage wouldn’t be so bad. Since it would be an international arrangement, she would be granted a separate residence to live in with the Eastern Turkish princess, which meant having her own secretarial staff.

The wrapping up of the case had cemented Kayla’s position in court, and it also cemented her as the best candidate for the political marriage. Looking at it now, the marriage really wasn’t the worst Kayla could do for herself. Her thoughts wandered as Kayla listlessly made notes for herself in English.

Qu Boyong was off hunting down healers for Kayla, who couldn’t shake off the nagging suspicion that the Grand Duke hadn’t just killed Consort Chen, but also Wenyuan’s parents. She didn’t know what to do even after getting an answer, but still felt it was important to get one. The events of the last few days had left her even more paranoid than usual.

Why the fuck is everything so stressful?

Kayla’s internal complaints were interrupted by someone knocking on the window. She frowned.

Who would come in through the window? Is it an Imperial Investigator?

She opened the windows, stepping back in shock as Hu Qing greeted her with a smile.

“Minister, may I come in?” Hu Qing asked, hanging upside down from the top of the window.

“Get in here!” Kayla hissed. “Did anyone see you?”

“No, I was super careful! It took a while to get around the Imperial Investigators though,” Hu Qing said in annoyance. “One of them was in the exact tree I was planning to use to flip in.”

“You got around the Imperial Investigators?” Kayla said in shock. “Just how skilled are you?”

“Oh, like it’s hard,” Hu Qing scoffed. Kayla gave him a look of disbelief.

Okay, I may have been hinging too much on the investigator’s abilities to keep me safe.

“I won’t ask,” Kayla muttered, shaking her head.

“A good choice,” Hu Qing said cheerfully before leaning in with a conspiratorial smile. “By the way, that Boyong of yours has got game. I just saw him rendezvousing with a female servant on my way in.”

Normally Kayla would’ve just laughed off the gossip, but for some reason, the news set off alarm bells in her head. She frowned, uncertain as to why she suddenly felt so nervous.

Qu Boyong was a handsome young man with a good personality, the kind to be popular with women his age. Given that he was on good terms with his coworkers during his time in the Grand Duke’s household and that Boyong had left rather suddenly, Kayla wouldn’t have thought it strange that he had a lover or friend that he would still be in touch with. After all, it wasn’t as though he couldn’t have connections with the Grand Duke’s household anymore just because he was working for Kayla. Considering Qu Boyong’s cautious nature, Kayla wasn’t worried about him running his mouth either.

Then what the hell is it? Kayla couldn’t help but feel that she had overlooked something in plain sight.

“What’s wrong, Minister?” Hu Qing asked. Kayla quickly smoothed out her expression.

“Nothing, it’s just that Boyong’s usually so serious, who would’ve thought?” Kayla said. Hu Qing didn’t look very convinced.

“What did the girl look like? Did she have any characteristics?” Kayla asked.

Hu Qing scrunched his face up. “Well, she was pretty. Or maybe plain? I have no idea.”

“What about height? Weight? Approximate age?” Kayla prodded.

“I don’t know, I didn’t really look at her,” Hu Qing said defensively.

“How could you not know anything about her appearance? You saw her!” Kayla said incredulously.

Hu Qing shrugged. “I mean, I only looked at Qu Boyong. I’m not interested in women.”

Kayla let out an exasperated sigh. “You're not inter-Even if you’re not interested, you still have perfectly good eyesight!”

There was a short silence in which Hu Qing gave her a look of surprise and curiosity before he waved his hands dismissively.

“Hey, if you saw a girl who was exactly your type chatting up a guy, would you look at the guy at all?” Hu Qing defended himself.

“I would!” Kayla shot back.

“Well that’s on you, isn’t it?” Hu Qing said. “Anyways, I don’t know. Is he going to be in trouble?”

“Of course not,” Kayla replied. “I was just…curious. I mean, who wouldn’t be?”

“Alright, that’s fair,” Hu Qing nodded sagely. Kayla shifted slightly in her seat.

“Have you given any thought to my offer?” Kayla asked. She doubted he had come all this way just to gossip about Boyong.

Hu Qing shifted uncomfortably. “Sorry to disappoint you, Minister. But I didn’t come to give my acceptance.”

“That’s fine too,” Kayla said. “Then what did you come here for?”

Hu Qing looked down. “Something came up, and somehow you seemed to be the best person to complain to.”

“Do you need help? If it’s something I can do, I’m happy to help out, no strings attached,” Kayla offered.

“No, I don’t really need anything,” Hu Qing said. “I was just in a mood to whine, but now that I’ve gotten here, it seems a little silly. It’s nothing.”

“Don’t be like that, you’ve piqued my curiosity now,” Kayla protested. “Seriously, spit it out.”

“It’s nothing much. It’s just that my uncle was reprimanding me when a guest came, and then he immediately tried to pass me off as a servant. Like, seriously, who doesn’t have a few illegitimate kids in the family? I’m not even his son, is it necessary that he scrambles to draw a clear line between us?” Hu Qing complained. Deflating slightly, he let out a sigh. “I don’t know why I’m so upset, it just bothers me.”

“Well, that’s understandable. Even if you work for your uncle, you have an emotional attachment to him that the servants don’t. For him to refuse to acknowledge it as though it were something to be ashamed of is definitely something to be upset about,” Kayla said sympathetically.

“I guess,” Hu Qing said, looking a little embarrassed now that he had gotten it out of his system. “It’s not like it hasn’t happened before, but this is actually the first time it’s bothered me so much.”

“Maybe it’s because you were reprimanded for helping someone out,” Kayla suggested. “I mean, you really saved my neck last time.”

“I didn’t really do much, you could’ve found any other healer,” Hu Qing pointed out.

“Your role was far more important than that, trust me,” Kayla said. “In any case, if you hadn’t accepted my commission, you wouldn’t have been bound to client confidentiality either, so I’m also grateful for that. I’m sorry that it seems to have caused you trouble though. Not to be an opportunistic asshole, but my offer for employment remains open.”

Hu Qing scrunched up his face. “I don’t get it, just why do you want to recruit me so much? You have Qu Boyong and your subordinates in the Court of Judicial Review, don’t you?”

“I can’t rely on them for everything, especially for personal matters,” Kayla replied.

“Not the officials, maybe, but what about Qu Boyong? Isn’t he capable enough?”

“Qu Boyong is extremely capable, he can get anything done within the shortest amount of time. I’m certain he’ll go far in life,” Kayla said.

“But you don’t trust him, right?” Hu Qing asked.

“That’s not it. I rely on him for almost everything. It’s true that I often don’t know the details of how he gets things done, but he gets them done,” Kayla said.

“Just like you don’t know where he got that building where we met?”

“Right, just like that,” Kayla agreed. “But that’s not why. I know that as long as I continue on my current path, I can entrust matters to him, just not everything. The actual reason I’m looking to hire you is that Boyong has a very strong sense of pride, and he holds himself to a high set of values. But those values are a complete mystery to me. I often get the sense that if I ask something of him that he considers beneath himself, Boyong will come to resent me for it, but I’m also not certain which things may fall under that category.”

“And you think I wouldn’t resent you?” Hu Qing asked suspiciously.

Kayla sighed. “I wouldn’t ask anything of you guys that I wouldn’t do myself given the skills. It’s just that I face a lot of limitations, and I need people who can help me work around them. The more options I have, the better. I just feel like our values are a bit more closely aligned, so I'm less likely to step on any landmines.”

“That's not unreasonable,” Hu Qing said thoughtfully. “I’ll think about it, but no promises.”

“Alright then,” Kayla said. “Is there anything else?”

Hu Qing lit up at that. “Oh wait, I wanted to ask something-how did you come to recruit Case Reviewer Chen? You don’t see a female official every day, much less a nineteen-year-old one.”

Kayla withheld a sigh, sensing that Hu Qing’s love for gossip would extend his stay for quite a while longer.

“Well, it was like this…”

---

Liu Boyue followed Xianchun and Minister Liang out to the entrance, giving Minister Liang a small nod to signify that he would be back soon.

“Minister Liang, thank you for your hospitality,” Xianchun said as he got into his carriage.

“Not at all, my prince. I’m honored by your visit to my humble abode,” Minister Liang replied.

Boyue joined Xianchun in the carriage as it made its way back to the Seventh Prince’s household.

“Do you think he’ll be able to turn anything up?” Xianchun asked.

Boyue gave the prince a smile. “You’ve come in person to emphasize the importance of a thorough investigation into the murder of Li Sanjin’s nephew, I’m sure he’ll find some way to connect it to the Grand Duke.”

“All we need is an excuse that would let us investigate that old codger,” Xianchun said. “Wenyuan certainly won’t get in our way, and neither will the Imperial Investigator’s Bureau. So as long as the Ministry of Justice can make a move, then we’ll have a chance to strike at the Grand Duke.”

“But Wenyuan must have something that ties the Grand Duke’s fate to his,” Boyue remarked. “That’s the only way the Grand Duke would have yielded. Even if he won’t stand in our way, there’s also a risk the Grand Duke would hold that over him and thus seek to impede us. With your permission, my prince, I would make preparations for potential countermeasures.”

“Ever the strategist,” Xianchun said, giving Boyue a fond look. “Very well, I’ll leave it to you to deal with that. As for the investigation, we need to keep our hands clean of that or it’ll be cast as an act of faction politics. That’ll reduce its legitimacy in the eyes of the court.”

“It’s as you say, my prince. I’m sure Minister Liang will manage. He is quite capable, after all,” Boyue assured him. Xianchun gave him a smile.

The carriage pulled to a stop before the prince’s residence, and Boyue took his leave with the excuse of retiring early for the night. Careful not to be noticed, Boyue discreetly made it back to the Liang household and back into Minister Liang’s study. The only one in the household capable of sensing Boyue’s entry didn’t seem to be there.

Minister Liang opened the door to his study, immediately hopping backward in shock.

“Sir Liu, you startled me!” Minister Liang said, hastily closing the door behind him.

“Apologies, Minister Liang. I had no such intention,” Boyue said apologetically.

“Think nothing of it, I’m merely easy to frighten is all. Does the prince have orders for me?”

Boyue shook his head. “It’s inconvenient for the prince to directly order such a thing, but if you would be willing to consider it as doing me a favor, I do have something to ask of you.”

“Of course,” Minister Liang replied.

“I didn’t see your nephew around,” Boyue remarked. “If I remember correctly, he was also missing during the time when the case was heading towards a full-out investigation.”

Minister Liang let out an exasperated sigh. “I apologize on his behalf. He’s a good kid, but he doesn’t understand the rules and is much too free-spirited. It’s my fault for being too lenient in his upbringing.”

“It’s good for young men to be energetic, Minister, I don’t mean to offer criticism. Now, this is merely my conjecture, based on absolutely nothing but my own instincts, but I sense that his disappearance was too timely to be a coincidence,” Boyue said.

Minister Liang frowned. “You mean he got involved? But I didn’t give him any orders.”

“As you said, he’s rather free-spirited. Again, this is solely based on my own shortcomings as a man who overthinks minor details, but would you kindly ask him for me? If it so happens that he really knows anything, that information would extremely valuable to our faction,” Boyue said.

“I see,” Minister Liang said thoughtfully. “Well, I could certainly ask, though I’m afraid that he was probably fooling around again. But if he really does know, then I’ll be certain to get the information out of him.”

“I don’t mean to interfere with your familial matters, Minister. But this really is an important matter. If he doesn't know, that's fine. But in the case that he knows but is unwilling to answer, may I offer a word of advice?” Boyue asked.

“Of course, Sir Liu. I’ll listen with open ears.”

Liu Boyue smiled, leaning across the desk.

“If he demands a reward, how about this? Offer him the thing he wants most. Offer him legitimization.”