Chen Jian was sound asleep, leaning against the shoulder of the Investigator sitting next to him, a junior investigator who he had squabbled with several times before. The waiting room was full of investigators, some pacing, some sitting, and some catching up on paperwork. A board game was going on in a corner, and an Investigator approached to offer An Haoyang an invitation, backing off when he saw that the young Investigator was trapped by the dead weight of Chen Jian on his shoulder.
An Haoyang grit his jaw, fighting the urge to violently fling Chen Jian off, wary of the eyes watching their every move. The internal investigation at the Imperial Investigator’s Bureau had been dragging on for days now. Only senior Investigators were allowed to leave headquarters, and even then, they had to bring tracking talismans and report on what they were doing every half-hour.
It was nerve-wracking, and everyone remaining within headquarters was being carefully scrutinized, their microexpressions and every movement being analyzed in real-time. Someone like Chen Jian would have been moved to the bottom of the list, especially now that he was drooling onto An Haoyang’s shoulder without a care in the world. As annoying as the heavy weight of the other man was, especially given Chen Jian’s naturally high body temperature, he was inadvertently making An Haoyang look less suspicious as well.
An Haoyang had always been as careful as possible, but the longer the investigation dragged on, the higher the risk of being found out. On his shoulder, Chen Jian grunted in his sleep and shifted his weight, not seeming to be concerned about a potential traitor in the Bureau, or concerned about anything for that matter. He almost envied the man’s ability to have such an empty head.
“Inspector Chen Jian, report!” A higher-ranking Investigator called out, his identity as an Internal Inspection Official announced by the fish design on his robes. Chen Jian jolted awake, all but falling out of his seat. He scrabbled to his feet, using An Haoyang’s thigh to push himself upright. He gave An Haoyang a quick apology as the man squawked in protest before blithely following the Internal Inspection Official out of the waiting room.
The Internal Inspection Official gave Chen Jian a look of exasperation as he hid a yawn under his hand.
“Inspector Chen Jian, you certainly seem to be in good spirits,” the Inspection Official said with a mild note of disapproval. Chen Jian caught it but chose to pretend he didn’t. The internal investigation was long overdue in Chen Jian’s opinion, and the more security concerns they managed to dig up and take care of, the better he would sleep at night. Why wouldn’t he be in good spirits?
“It’s been a while since everyone’s been together in headquarters like this,” Chen Jian replied amiably. The Inspection Official gave an imperceptible shake of his head and said nothing further, deeming Chen Jian a lost cause.
“Wait here,” the Inspection Official ordered after leading Chen Jian into a small room. The door shut, and Chen Jian was left alone in what looked to be a vaguely familiar utility closet, with a door that opened into the hall and a door that opened into a meeting room. The last traces of sleep completely cleared away as Chen Jian realized what kind of situation he was in. He wisely left the two doors alone, doing his best to erase his presence as much as he could.
There was the sound of movement in the adjacent room as several sets of footsteps entered. The shuffling soon faded as everyone settled into their chairs. Investigator Li Que’s familiar voice rang out.
“There’s no need to wait for Tabuyir, I’ll brief him afterward,” Li Que said. “Before we begin, we should all take the oath of confidentiality. In the name of the Emperor, with the heavens as my witness, I swear to protect the confidentiality of this information.” There was a vague hum of energy as the magic oath took effect.
The oath was echoed by several voices, and Chen Jian felt a chill run down his spine. He had interacted with each of the occupants in the meeting room to some extent while following Li Que around to all kinds of meetings. It went unspoken, but it was widely acknowledged that Chen Jian was one of the potential successors for Li Que’s current position when the man eventually reached the seat of Director.
Five of the seven top-ranking members of the core staff were present, excluding the Director and Inspector Tabuyir. Chen Jian could make out the voices of the Chief Internal Inspection Officer Ju Wuhui, Senior Investigator Li Que, Senior Inspector Duan Wuxie, Vice-Director Ke Sitao, and Chief Secretariat Shu Wei. This is a high-level meeting, what on earth am I doing here?
“Where are Tabuyir and the Director?” Senior Inspector Duan asked brusquely.
“Tabuyir’s investigating outside the capital right now, I’ll explain in more detail later. The Director was called into the palace by the Emperor, I expect that neither of them will be back anytime soon,” Li Que said patiently. “I’ll inform Tabuyir, sir, could you kindly inform the Director?”
“Certainly,” Vice-Director Ke replied.
“Well, Li Que? I can only assume that your findings are shocking enough to warrant such a high level of caution. Pray do tell, or would you keep us all waiting? I have an internal investigation to lead,” Inspector Ju asked impatiently.
“Of course, I wouldn’t needlessly kick up such a fuss at such a busy time. Investigator Qin Yang, the fifth Inspector who was on duty that night at the Zhao household has been found dead. It seems he had been killed only a few hours after the assassination attempt,” Li Que explained calmly. Senior Investigator Duan gave a grunt, and there were a few whispers of condolences. Qin Yang had been personally trained by Senior Investigator Duan. Even though the young man proved unsuitable for leadership due to his timid personality, his mentor had been exceptionally fond of him.
“What a pity,” Chief Secretariat Shu murmured.
“Indeed, he was a promising young man. We’re still waiting on the coroner’s report, but it seems that he was killed in a single blow from the front that severed his jugular,” Li Que said.
“Killed in a single blow? It shouldn’t be possible for a man of his caliber to be defeated so easily, not unless it was someone he knew,” Inspector Ju pointed out. “Exactly where was his body found and were there any investigators nearby?”
“That’s the issue,” Li Que said, keeping his voice deliberately level. “He was found outside the capital, on the side of a minor road that heads towards Dengzhou. At the time of his death, all of the Investigators in the area were accounted for after reporting for the alarm. He wasn’t wearing the Imperial Investigator’s uniform, but rather a set of commoner’s robes, and he was carrying five hundred silver. All of it was recovered at the site.”
“You suspect that he was trying to flee?” Inspector Ju asked.
“You’d certainly like that, wouldn’t you? It’d make your job easy enough! I trained that man myself, I know his capabilities. Even if he were the mole, he wouldn’t do such a sloppy job,” Senior Investigator Duan snapped.
"Well, he was leaving the capital in the middle of the night with a large amount of money and in cover clothing," Inspector Ju shot back.
“And what of it? Until we have any proof of his disloyalty, this should be treated as a murder case. Li Que, hurry up and spit out the information already. Do we know when he left his post? How far did he get on the road? Did he move by foot or by carriage? Where did he get his gold, and which of his acquaintances do you suspect?” Senior Investigator Duan demanded
“You’re too impatient, my friend. What Li Que’s pointing to are the political implications this will have, not the actual case itself,” Chief Secretariat Shu pointed out. “Dengzhou is where several Archdukes currently reside, including Archduke Wei and Archduke Qi. You know how the Emperor feels about them, if there is any hint at their involvement, this will become a mess.”
“That’s the court’s problem! Our work is investigating, and I need to know the details,” Senior Investigator Duan insisted.
“Calm down, senior. I wouldn’t withhold any information from you, but it’s true that the implications of this are worrying. Once the information is released, those who wish to flatter the Emperor will be certain to twist this to point towards Archduke Qi,” Li Que said in an appeasing tone. “But for the matter at hand, the investigator made it to twenty miles outside of Dengzhou.”
Sounds of surprise rang out around the room. Li Que patiently waited for them to quiet down before continuing. Inside the utility closet, Chen Jian held himself perfectly still as the meeting continued, realizing just how much of a mess he was now in. If it was Li Que who wanted Chen Jian to hear this, it would be alright, but if it was a trap, then both Li Que and Chen Jian would be in deep trouble. Chen Jian almost regretted not busting out of the utility closet at the very start, but now had no choice but to continue hiding his presence in hopes that he would go unnoticed. At the very least, his instincts hadn’t gone off at being led into the closet, which hopefully meant that nothing was particularly wrong with his situation.
Even someone who wasn’t particularly astute in politics could tell that the situation was a mess. Qin Yang had evidently traveled a good part of the way by magic carriage, or he would never have gotten so far in just a few hours, but for the final part before his death, he had traveled on foot for at least half a mile, likely in the company of whoever had killed him. The preciseness of the cut suggested someone highly skilled, but judging from the size of the cut and the direction it had been made in, it had likely been the work of a woman or a teenager.
Qin Yang was single and had no family except for some distant relatives living in Shanxi. He worked over twelve hours a day on most days, and as a result, his social circle was primarily composed of other members of the Bureau. So just who would he have fled the capital with? Why did he flee? Those questions remained unanswered, leaving a pit in the stomachs of everyone present.
“Qin Yang studied martial arts under Tan Hui before joining the Bureau, didn’t he? He even received a letter of recommendation,” Inspector Ju pointed out. The observation plunged the room into icy silence.
Chen Jian racked his brain to match the name to a face, cold sweat beading on his forehead as he recalled that Tan Hui had been the head of security for Archduke Qi while the Archduke was responsible for the princes’ education, and had gone back to Dengzhou together with his employer.
“It couldn't have been Archduke Qi. His Grace is not that type of man, I’ve seen plenty of conspirators and all sorts of criminals over the years, that man is far from counting among their ranks,” Vice-Director Ke said heavily.
“Adversity will change a man. We knew His Grace from when the Archduke was well-respected and at the pinnacle of the Emperor’s favor, but we all know that he changed greatly after the deaths of the Sixth Prince and the Fourth…and his adopted son,” Inspector Ju replied. The air seemed to coagulate, almost physically weighted with tension. The topic of the disowned Fourth Prince and Archduke Qi’s rather heavy fall from grace was still a taboo topic in the capital, and the Emperor was still resentful.
“Even so, Archduke Qi has secluded himself in his residence and rarely does anything at all. We have men watching his household every single minute of the day, what could he possibly have to do with this?” Vice-Director Ke snapped.
“Vice-Director, I understand your feelings on the matter, but we have to consider the possibility. Of all the archdukes, Archduke Qi and Archduke Wei are the ones who are most likely to have the motive to stir up trouble in the capital. For Archduke Qi, there is always the matter of revenge, and Archduke Wei was always close with Archduke Qi. After all, they share the same mother. Now, his only daughter is being married off into the Khaganate, who’s to say whether he’d be willing to take extreme action?” Chief Secretariat Shu pointed out. “In any case, we’re not accusing them of anything, we’re just investigating.”
“And what will the Emperor think of that?” Vice-Director Ke asked. “Do you think His Majesty will believe in their innocence even if we don’t find anything?”
“Vice-Director, His Majesty’s thoughts are not for us to guess at,” Li Que said firmly. “But regardless of whether or not those two are at the center of the investigation, much of the court will suspect them no matter what. Rather than allowing things to get out of hand, it’s best that we take the initiative and wrap up the investigation before other people start interfering.”
“This is going to be troublesome,” Chief Secretariat Shu sighed wearily. “The paperwork notwithstanding, handling a bunch of angry Archdukes is not something I’m looking forward to.”
“Oh come on, at least you won’t have to deal with them face to face, unlike us,” Li Que comforted him, trying to lighten the mood.
“Since it has to be done, then there’s no point in complaining,” Inspector Ju chimed in.
“On the bright side, at least Grand Duke Zhao is unlikely to interfere. That damn old codger who refuses to hurry up and die has always been the most troublesome hurdle for getting anything done,” Senior Investigator Duan said, a note of satisfaction in his voice.
“That grandson of his is also a lamp that doesn't save oil,” Inspector Ju remarked. “He wouldn’t get in the way, would he?”
“Minister Zhao’s matters are under my jurisdiction, you don’t need to worry yourself about that,” Li Que said mildly.
“I need to look into that Qu Boyong because of him, so he’s not just your problem,” Inspector Ju shot back. Chen Jian frowned, recognizing the name from when Chen Caichun had mentioned him in passing.
Wasn’t that Minister Zhao’s personal servant? Was he involved in the case somehow?
“The order came from the palace, what do you want me to do about it? The Empress Dowager was the one to give the order, it's not as though I can go and tell her to let me handle it,” Li Que asked in exasperation. “Minister Zhao won’t get in the way of the internal investigation, and that’s what matters.”
“That’s what I’m worried about, from now on, our work will only get more difficult if we have to keep the neutral faction on its feet as well. How long do you expect him to last?” Inspector Ju asked. Li Que gave an audible sigh, and Chen Jian could already picture the older man shaking his head in disapproval.
“That’s enough now, rein in your dissatisfaction, Inspector Ju,” Vice-Director Ke cut in. “Let’s not speculate on such things and focus on the task at hand.” Inspector Ju complied, but not without a displeased huff.
“Then if we can talk about the investigation procedures,” Chief Secretariat Shu suggested. There were murmurs of agreement before the meeting moved on to logistics.
Chen Jian’s frown deepened as he mulled over what he had just heard, once again wishing that he had his sister’s political sensibilities to better comprehend what was going on. He had thought the Bureau was on good terms with Zhao Wenyuan, when had that changed? Chen Jian wanted to ask Caichun but thought better of it. She would certainly keep confidential information confidential, but it would be asking her to actively withhold information from someone she owed a great debt. It was certain to bother her, given Caichun’s personality.
After what seemed to be forever, the meeting ended and the core staff members dispersed. Li Que’s familiar footsteps were the first ones out the door. Chen Jian held absolutely still in the utility closet as the other staff members passed by its door to leave the room. To his frustration, one set of footsteps remained resolutely within the room.
Damn it, who is this? Hurry up and leave! I also want to leave! Chen Jian continued to wait in place. The footsteps finally began moving towards the hallway but came to a stop right in front of the utility closet door. Chen Jian’s eyes widened, his instincts blaring an alarm inside his head. He fought down his urge to burst into the hallway and run, knowing that he couldn’t outrun someone from the core staff, not at his current level.
“Vice-Director, your secretary is looking for you,” a familiar voice called out. Chen Jian held his breath, eyes wide as the footsteps finally moved away.
“Is that so? Thank you for taking the trouble, you should’ve told him to come over instead,” Vice-Director Ke said amiably.
“Not at all, I’m heading back this way to get Duan Wuxie off my case. He won’t stop nagging me even though I haven’t received an update in the two minutes since he last asked,” Li Que said, his voice heavy with unadulterated exasperation.
Vice-Director Ke gave a chuckle and stepped into the hallway. Chen Jian slowly breathed out, carefully keeping his presence hidden until the man left while assuring Li Que that he would get Senior Inspector Duan to calm down and back off. Li Que also left, heading down the hallway in the opposite direction of Vice-Director Ke.
Chen Jian remained in place until he sensed that the surroundings were completely clear before he cautiously slipped out of the utility closet and into the hallway, heading down the same direction Li Que had gone in. Following the corridor, he turned the corner and immediately came face to face with Li Que.
“Sir!” Chen Jian squeaked, the sound coming out a pitch higher than usual.
“Chen Jian,” Li Que said, his voice completely emotionless. “Did you catch all of that?”
Chen Jian nodded, looking at Li Que with wide eyes.
“And? What will you do?” Li Que asked.
“I won’t say a word of this to anyone,” Chen Jian promised. He frowned slightly as he realized that for some reason, this was the wrong answer. Seeing Chen Jian’s look of confusion, Li Que’s face softened slightly.
“And then what would have been the point of having you listen?” Li Que asked gently.
“I don’t understand. The information’s confidential,” Chen Jian said in bewilderment.
“Yes, everyone in the meeting took an oath of confidentiality,” Li Que agreed.
A vague sense of understanding dawned upon Chen Jian. “And I…wasn’t in the meeting,” Chen Jian said cautiously. Li Que nodded.
“But sir, I,” Chen Jian began, trailing off when he couldn’t find the right question or protest to speak. Li Que reached out and patted him on the shoulder, his eyes glittering with something akin to approval.
“Follow your instincts, Chen Jian. Go back to the waiting room for now, you’ll be set to go home soon,” Li Que said, his voice a touch gentler now. Chen Jian nodded wordlessly, bowing his head before heading back in a daze. He meandered back to his former seat, next to his prickly junior An Haoyang.
“Did they call you in for questioning?” An Haoyang asked. Chen Jian shrugged.
“Yeah, just the standard,” he replied. “I’m still sleepy, I should’ve gotten some tea earlier.”
“They have tea right there,” An Haoyang gestured sharply at the table in the corner of the room with food and drinks.
“No thanks, that tea must be from storage, it’s probably over five years old,” Chen Jian grumbled.
“Picky,” An Haoyang grumbled under his breath. Chen Jian ignored him, dozing off again. It was the best thing to do in the situation, it made him look like a man with a clear conscience and stopped people from trying to get information out of him. That, and Chen Jian really was tired from the meeting earlier.
Within moments, Chen Jian was asleep on An Haoyang’s shoulder again.
In a teahouse several miles away from the Imperial Investigation Bureau, Kayla felt her ear twitch, but ignored it in favor of smiling coldly at Hu Weizhi. Their conversation wasn’t going anywhere, but she had finally sensed a chance.
The neutral faction, save for the Imperial Investigation Bureau, didn’t have anyone high up enough to understand the throne’s true intentions. The sole exception was Kayla herself, which meant she was in an excellent position to make what she could of it. It was an opportunity to give a slightly twisted picture of the current political situation, one that would cause the neutral faction to rely on Kayla more than they would have under different circumstances.
“The future developments of the court do hinge on my participation, Minister. In fact, I’m the only one who’s suitable,” Kayla said with a smile.
Hu Weizhi gave Kayla an incredulous look, with the exasperated air of an experienced elder watching an overconfident and arrogant young upstart.
“There have been officials whose loyalties lie with the throne rather than personal greed or gain since before you were born, and there will be plenty even after you reach a hundred years. The power that has been placed into your hands should not be misinterpreted as a stamp of approval for your intrinsic worth,” Hu Weizhi reproached her. “If you are careless, you will succumb to your arrogance.”
Kayla shook her head. “You’re right in saying that there will always be neutral officials and loyalists to the throne. The rivers and mountains produce talents in every generation. But you’ve misunderstood my role in this. Why do you think the Emperor has been so proactive recently? Is it simply because my grandfather’s moment of reckoning has arrived? But if that were the case, why not assign any one of the more experienced and higher-ranking officials he has on hand? Why go through all the trouble of promoting a fourth-rank Left Secretariat and reinstating the Court of Judicial Review?”
Hu Weizhi paused for a moment, taken aback by her questions. “If you commit many unrighteous acts, you will bring about your own demise. The Grand Duke’s merits are no longer enough to shield him from the consequences of his crimes. Regardless of whether or not you were given this role, everything would run its natural course. The sky’s web is vast, one may evade for a time, but not escape.”
“You evade my question. Why would the Emperor promote me and place such heavy expectations on the grandson of the Grand Duke?” Kayla pressed on.
Hu Weizhi shook his head. “It’s a common sentiment of mankind to try and protect their family members. Isn’t it just to shield you from the consequences? The problem is, he is offering out of affection for his nephew, but you shouldn’t be so thoughtless as to accept without regard for the implications it has for the court and the country.”
Kayla stood up, ignoring Hu Weizhi as he stiffened in anxiety. She walked past him to pace back and forth, knowing that the officials were listening in behind the thin wooden walls in the two adjacent rooms.
“That’s one way of seeing it, but you’re only looking at it from the surface level. Your vision, Minister Hu, is locked upon the immediate danger and not the bigger picture, like a man who looks at a leopard through a tube. Surely you can see the true issue at hand, even though it’s only in its nascent stages,” Kayla prompted. “The stability of the country and the right of the people to live in peace and work in joy hinge upon it.”
Hu Weizhi frowned in confusion before grimacing.
“You speak of the princes vying for the seat of heir,” Hu Weizhi said. “That’s entirely unnecessary. Our Emperor is in the midst of his strongest years and is in excellent health. There is no danger of a disaster of the inner walls. If there is a legitimate son, the heir should be him. If there isn’t one, the heir should be the eldest. The Seventh Prince is talented, but in both legitimacy and age, he cannot hope to claim the position of Crown Prince.”
Kayla faltered, looking at him with a small degree of disbelief.
He’s…not serious, is he? Even the Empress Dowager intended for the princes to duke it out, we’re this far in and he doesn’t even consider Xianchun a candidate? Xianchun was the one who actually won in the original timeline!
Belatedly, Kayla realized that she didn’t really know what most of the court thought about the ongoing four-way power struggle. She had the advantage of foreknowledge and the palace’s confidence, but neither of the princes ' factions was acting overtly. From an outside perspective, the succession struggle probably only amounted to background din in the face of the palace’s attack against the Grand Duke, with the neutral faction looking more like the Emperor’s attempt to consolidate his own power and fill the vacuum that the Grand Duke’s fall would inevitably lead to.
It would make sense for lower-ranking officials to think that way, but he’s the head of one of the Six Ministries. Can he really be unable to see what’s going on? Or is he just pretending?
“The Seventh Prince may not have the support of his maternal relatives, but he’s also a force to be reckoned with,” Kayla objected. “Within only the last few months, he’s gained control over the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Personnel, and now he has military support in the Southwest as well. I wouldn’t say that he has no chance at all. The ancient greats have said that those with a country and a family are not afraid of sparse resources but unequal distribution, they are not afraid of having a small population, but of war and inner strife. As officials who serve the nation, we cannot afford to overlook possible developments within the country.”
“Control over the Ministry of Justice? Well, I suppose that the recent purge will allow him to strengthen his foothold there,” Hu Weizhi said dismissively. “But still, you are overstating your own importance by exaggerating the situation at hand. The Seventh Prince has no roots in the court beyond the shallow bonds he has formed recently. Your words are no different from inserting a needle when you've found a crack.”
Xianchun won’t be getting too many seats in the Ministry of Justice, Kayla decided to keep that to herself for now as a card for later.
“As for the Ministry of Personnel, his hold there is shaky at best. His so-called military support in the Southwest only consists of a woman and a Vice-commander at that. What can he possibly hope to accomplish? He may be able to temporarily make some gains, but it’ll be difficult for him to achieve anything greater,” Hu Weizhi said. “And allow me to remind you, Confucius has also said that if you do not hold a position, do not interfere in its affairs. As the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, you should focus on your own work rather than sticking your nose into the matter of succession.”
Kayla paused, stopping her pacing to stare at him in disbelief.
Is that what it looks like to him?!
I think he’s serious, Wenyuan said flatly. Kayla took a deep breath.
Fine, that’s fair. Xianchun can’t grab much power until the Grand Duke leaves a power vacuum, and he looks down on me as a brat who gained power through nepotism. But still, Hu Weizhi is taking this way too lightly. It made sense, to a certain extent, but Kayla still felt a modicum of disbelief.
No wonder he wants to be the head of the neutral faction, he has no idea how dangerous the job is. Kayla could sense Wenyuan spiritually rolling his eyes.
She hastily collected herself and approached the table to loom over Hu Weizhi. The man shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
“Minister Hu, someone as clever as you should surely understand that there are thousands of changes and ten thousand transformations within the court at any given moment. I am not alone in believing that the Seventh Prince will be a strong contender for the seat of Crown Prince,” Kayla said meaningfully.
Hu Weizhi frowned. “You mean to say that the palace is willing to support him?”
“I said nothing of the sort. The palace will not support any of the princes, but they’re taking every precaution available to prevent the court from falling into chaos,” Kayla said, stressing the last few words. She watched Hu Weizhi’s expression carefully, frustrated at the lack of realization on his face.
“Since neither prince is born of the former Empress, should the heir be the eldest or the wisest? That’s surely an issue that the Emperor is deliberating. The Third Prince and the Seventh Prince are both extremely talented, and highly charismatic in their own ways. Their political stances differ, but their ideologies prioritize the nation and its people.” Kayla explained.
Even if Xianchun doesn’t get any opportunities to demonstrate his talents, the Empress Dowager would ensure that he receives a chance. The final decision will be based on the Emperor’s perception of their character and capabilities, while the neutral faction’s here as a moderator to prevent things from escalating too far. If it were really just the two of us here, I could say that outright. But we have an audience, so I can’t even spell it out for him. This is something that can only be tacitly understood, not spoken out loud. Just what will it take to get it through his head?
To her immense relief, Hu Weizhi finally seemed to understand.
“You mean to say that-” He cut himself off, having reached the same conclusion as Kayla that it was better to leave it as an unspoken understanding. Seeing that she had reached the intended effect, Kayla sat down, moving her chair next to Hu Weizhi rather than across from him.
“Minister Hu, if the neutral faction performs well, it will surely be due to the experience and wisdom of senior, experienced officials such as yourself and the other loyalists in the court. If the neutral faction fails to reach the Emperor’s expectations, then it will surely be due to my lack of experience and foresight,” Kayla assured him.
The credit’s all yours, the risk’s all mine. Are you in or not?
Hu Weizhi’s eyes narrowed, and he silently downed his cup of tea to buy time. Kayla continued smiling at him unmovingly, patiently waiting for a response.
”Minister Zhao, your words have given me much to think about,” Hu Weizhi finally said. “Unfortunately, the night is already late, and the court is convening tomorrow. I’m afraid that these old bones need their rest, if it is agreeable to you, shall we continue this conversation tomorrow night?”
Kayla withheld a sigh. So we're going for round two tomorrow? At least he was the one retreating, not Kayla.
“Of course, I must apologize for my thoughtlessness. Listening to your words trumps studying for ten years, I was enjoying my conversation with you so much that I forgot the time,” Kayla replied politely, not at all having enjoyed the conversation. “Shall we meet here again at the same time tomorrow?”
“You flatter me,” Hu Weizhi said flatly. “Let us meet again here tomorrow if Minister Zhao can spare the time.”
“I’d gladly make time for you at any moment, Minister Hu,” Kayla said insincerely. “Then until tomorrow.”
She escorted Hu Weizhi out the door, respectfully seeing him off before leaving herself. Hu Qing waited until they were out of sight from the teahouse’s upper stories before letting himself into the carriage.
“Well, Minister? How’d it go, squabbling with the old man?” Hu Qing asked cheerfully as he entered the moving carriage, ignoring the horseman’s screech of protest.
Kayla sighed, exhausted from the earlier exchange. “He’s difficult to deal with, I couldn't convince him. We’ll be meeting him here again tomorrow night at the same time.”
“Do you want me to prepare some brocade?” Hu Qing asked.
“I doubt he’ll accept it so blatantly, I need to find some excuse to give the gift. Bribing him outright will only offend a guy like that,” Kayla groaned. “What a pain, he’ll probably have more arguments ready by tomorrow, and whatever issues the other traditionalists have with me, he'll have time to draft up their complaints.”
“Good luck,” Hu Qing said, not at all sounding sympathetic. “Shall we head back now, or do you want to go to the entertainment district tonight? It’s not that late yet.”
Kayla hesitated for a moment. If she went now, the rumors of her visit would spread at the convening of the court tomorrow.
“Let’s just go,” Kayla said.
“Don’t sound so reluctant, the ladies will be offended,” Hu Qing said. He was already grinning from ear to ear in anticipation.
“Why are you so eager? You don’t even like women,” Kayla shot back.
“I’ll never refuse a good time,” Hu Qing said. “And they’re good dancers, I can appreciate that.”
“You didn’t even take note of who Qu Boyong was talking with that time you saw him meeting with a maid at night,” Kayla grumbled.
Hu Qing shook his head, sighing a little despite not looking even the slightest bit regretful. “Yeah, in hindsight, that’s actually pretty important, isn’t it? That's too bad.”
He opened the door to the moving carriage, sticking his upper body out to tell the horseman their change of destination, completely ignoring the sensible option of using the window at the front of the carriage. Kayla decided to ignore what was probably a safety violation if not a traffic violation.
Wenyuan, you’ve really never been to the entertainment districts? Do you know what to expect?
I told you already, I never went there before! And what do you mean, what to expect? There’ll be pretty women, what else could you expect?
Kayla sighed at having received zero useful information.
Forget it, I’ll just work with what I find there.
Cultural Notes
同胞兄弟/Brother of the same womb: Since it was common for a man to have many wives in Ancient China, many siblings would be half-siblings, sharing the same father. In that case, it was common for siblings who also shared the same mother to be much closer than they are with their half-siblings, even if everyone is being raised in the same household.
邓州/Dengzhou: A city with a long history, Dengzhou is located in modern-day Henan. It is to the Southwest of Luoyang (the capital), 273 kilometers away and at least several days' journey by foot. Historically, various famous figures have resided there, though the presence of several Archdukes is purely fictional.
老而不死/Old but doesn't die: A (derogatory) Ancient Chinese proverb stemming from the quote by Confucius: "老而不死是为贼/[To be] old and not die is to be a thief." Though the original line was jokingly uttered between friends, it is usually used as an insult.
不省油的灯/A lamp that doesn't save oil: A Chinese colloquial saying referring to someone who is cunning and difficult to deal with/fend against.
收收脾气/Rein in your temper: A Chinese colloquial saying. The core staff of the Imperial Investigation Bureau are close in age and rank and have been working together for a long time, hence their peppering in of informal speech.
麻烦你了/[Have] troubled you: The Chinese equivalent of "Thanks for the trouble", serves as an acknowledgment, thanks, and apologies for the inconvenience all in a single package.
新茶vs.老茶vs.陈茶/New tea vs. old tea vs. aged tea: Many teas are meant to be drank while fresh, preferably within the year. White teas, yellow teas, and green teas are best when they're new, while their aroma, taste, color, and texture are at its peaks. On the other hand, aged teas are best after they have been, as the name suggests, aged. This includes pu'erh and oolong teas, where the aging process increases the flavor and aroma of the tea leaves. Finally, old tea refers to teas that are best drank while they're new but weren't. Since new tea is expensive (freshly packed tea leaves can be ridiculously expensive in China, to the point where several boxes of premium tea can be used in lieu of cash for a bribe), many people settle for buying green, white, and yellow teas a year or two after it was first packed. In my experience, it's very common for waiting room and office tea leaves in China to be old tea, or at least really inexpensive and not-too-great tea.
百岁之后/After a hundred years: An Ancient Chinese proverb meaning "after you die".
江山辈有人才出/The rivers and mountains produce talents in every generation: An Ancient Chinese proverb meaning that there will be talented people in every generation to replace those who came before them, originates from a Qing Dynasty poem.
多行不义必自毙/If you commit many unrighteous acts, you will bring about your own demise: An Ancient Chinese proverb from the pre-Qin era, originating from the historical record of 郑伯克段于鄢/Zheng Bo destroys Duan at the the city of Yan. Zheng Bo refers to Duke Zhuang of the Ducality of Zheng (which ceased to exist by the Warring Kingdoms Era), one of the earliest hegemons of the pre-Qin era. Legend goes that Duke Zhuang was born feet-first, causing his mother great pain during labor. As a result, she despised her eldest son while doting on her younger son Duan. When Duke Zhuang became the ruler of the Ducality, his mother asked Duke Zhuang to give Duan a very dangerous fief (knowing he can't agree at risk of being accused of being an immoral bastard who was trying to screw over his younger brother), and Duke Zhuang refused due to the danger Duan would face. Now that he had already refused his mother once, it would be difficult for Duke Zhuang to refuse her twice in a row. Knowing this, his mother asked Duke Zhuang to give Duan the strategically important fief of Jing, and Duke Zhuang had no choice but to agree. As the fief lord, Duan expanded his land holdings, increased his city defenses, and built up an army. Duke Zhuang allowed all this and took no action to stop Duan, and when his retainers begged him to take action, Duke Zhuang said "If you commit many unrighteous acts, you will bring about your own demise." Eventually, Duan rebelled, which Duke Zhuang was more than ready for. Duke Zhuang defeated his little brother Duan at the city of Yan and forced him to commit suicide while exiling their mother. Historians called him Zheng Bo (an informal name rather than his title) when describing the course of events, feeling that his behavior was unbefitting of a ruler, as he purposefully and knowingly allowed his younger brother to build up to a rebellion (so he would have an excuse to kill Duan) rather than doing the responsible thing as a ruler and stopping Duan before it came to fraticide and a war that claimed the lives of many soldiers.
天网恢恢疏而不漏/The sky’s web is vast, one may evade for a time, but not escape: An Ancient Chinese proverb with Taoist origins. Often used to mean that evil will be punished eventually.
人之常情/Common sentiment of mankind: An Ancient Chinese proverb referring to understandable sentiments and reactions.
管中窥豹/Look at a leopard through a tube: An Ancient Chinese proverb meaning to only see a small portion of the truth.
安居乐业/Live in peace and work in joy: An Ancient Chinese proverb from the pre-Qin era, it was often seen as the responsibility of rulers and officials to strive to make a country where people can live in peace and work happily as a goal.
正值壮年/In the midst of his strongest years: Generally used to refer to a man in his thirties and forties. As a man in his late-forties, the Emperor counts as this. It is believed that men in this age group are at their strongest and need to watch out for being too lustful.
龙体安康/[The] Dragon is peaceful and healthy: An Ancient Chinese phrase used to mean that the Emperor was fine, since the Emperor was often referred to as a dragon and symbolized by a dragon.
祸起萧墙/Trouble arises [within] the inner walls: An Ancient Chinese proverb from Confucius' The Analects, it refers to power struggles within families. It is often used to mean that inner power struggles are a bigger threat than external forces. The 萧墙 refers to an inner wall that is usually found in the households of rich and powerful nobles or ruling families.
有嫡立嫡，无嫡立长/If there is a legitimate son, the heir should be him. If there isn’t one, the heir should be the eldest: A common philosophy of Confucianists and a product of the dishu system of inheritance where only the son of the wife is considered a legitimate heir, as opposed to the sons of the concubines.
闻有国有家者，不患寡而患不均，不患贫而患不安 : A quote by Confucius, the translation is as follows: [Those with a country and a family are not afraid of being are not afraid of sparse resources but unequal distribution, they are not afraid of having a small population, but of war and inner strife.]
见缝插针/Insert a needle when finding a crack: An Ancient Chinese proverb meaning to take advantage of even the smallest opportunity or to nitpick.
千变万化/Thousand changes ten thousand transformations: An Ancient Chinese proverb referring to a constantly changing situation.
立贤立长/[Should the] Heir be the wise or the eldest: Another conundrum in Ancient China for when you have too many sons, especially when your eldest son is not particularly talented.
听君一席话胜读十年书/Listening to your words for a banquet trumps studying for ten years: An Ancient Chinese proverb used to praise someone's words as bearing great wisdom.
Brocade as a currency for bribery: In the Tang Dynasty, checks did not exist yet. Most people used bronze coins (widespread silver and gold coins is purely fictional), but that made bribing someone with large sums very difficult. Instead, many people simply used brocade, which was light, relatively small, and highly expensive.
